Don't Let Me Go
by LovingAnything
Summary: Can true love be found even if the world we know ceases to exist? Daryl Dixon/OC pairing
1. Introduction

Do you remember the exact place, time, and what you were feeling when something drastic happened in your life or worldwide, like your first kiss or when the Twin Towers in New York went down?

Flashbulb memories. That's what they're called. According to the encyclopedia, a flashbulb memory is defined as a "highly detailed, exceptionally vivid 'snapshot' of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential… news [is] heard."

Call it what you want, but everyone on this desolate rock of a planet has a very clear picture of what they were doing when the world went to hell... including me. I can't tell you how it works or even where this plague first started, but I can walk you through my encounter with it.

So this is my story and the story of others in my life when the dead started walking.


	2. Flashbulb Memories

There it is, walking right in front of me, unknowing of the danger that lurks close by. As long as it stays upwind of me, it'll never know I'm here. I slowly stand up, drawing back on the string of my bow, ready to let the arrow fly.

_Crunch!_

At that moment, the buck I had been tracking lifts its head up and rapidly bounds through the woods. I turn my head to see my life-long friend coming up behind me. "Daryl flippin' Dixon," I hissed, "I know you know how to walk quietly and now you've just cost me the biggest buck I've ever seen!"

"Sorry Ava," He shrugged, "but Merle just texted me. Said he's got something real big for us." I blew the bangs that lay on my forehead away from my eyes and jabbed a finger at his shoulder, "It'd better be something good or else you're makin' squirrel a la mode for dinner again."

Daryl smirked and tugged on the end of my braid. "Aw c'mon, A. You know you love it." He turned around and headed back the way he came. I slid the bow over my shoulder and followed behind him.

When we made it back to our camp, Daryl set his crossbow against a tree. "Merle! Where are ya?" A few seconds later, Merle came walking through the trees with something in a black bag over his shoulder. "I'm right here baby brother. No need to alert everyone where we're at."

I watched as he dropped the bag on the ground. With my arms crossed over my chest, I cocked an eyebrow at him. "What was so important that you had Daryl interrupt the biggest buck I had in my sights? And what's in the bag?" Merle crouched down, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Now sweetcheeks, no need to get snippy. Once ya see what's in this bag, you'll forget all about that buck."

He reached for the zipper and as he pulled it back, I saw Daryl take a step forward and exclaim, "Dammit Merle! You didn't?!" Hearing this peaked my interest so I took a few steps forward. When I got close enough to see what was inside, my hand flew up to cover my mouth. While some of the bag was pulled away, I saw a pair of legs with dirty jeans and muddy boots.

I took a step back, "Fuckin' hell Merle! What were you thinkin'? You went and killed somebody?!" I stuck my hand into my pocket to grab my phone. Before I could pull it out, I felt a hand grip my wrist and a voice growl, "Now sugar tits, I know you ain't fixin' to call the cops on me without hearing the whole story, am I right?" I looked over at Daryl who was looking down at the bag containing the body. I looked back up at Merle and jerked my wrist from his grip. "Fine," I snarled, "But you better have a fuckin' good explanation as to why you have a dead body in that bag!"

Merle walked back towards the bag and unzipped it the rest of the way. Now that I could fully see the body, I knelt down beside it as Merle started his story. "Well first off, this...thing, isn't really human I don't think. Now, when I found him, he was hanging from a tree with just a rope around his neck. Poor bastard probably had a bad life but for some reason, it didn't end."

Merle said, pulling a knife from his belt. Using the tip, he pointed out the rope markings around the neck. "See, you can tell his neck is broken so he obviously died from that. But, the minute I came close to him, he started floppin' like a dead fish." He then moved the bag and pulled out an arm. I about lost my breakfast at the sight of the mangled arm with skin and muscle hanging off the bone. "Son o'a bitch must've gotten hungry hangin' up there and is somehow still hungry. The minute I walked up to him, he started twitchin' and tryin' to claw his way to me. So I shot him in the heart and he just kept twitchin'."

"So, what did ya' do next?" Daryl spoke up. Merle looked at Daryl like he was crazy. "Well I did what anyone would've done next. I shot that motherfucker in the head. Only then did he stop movin'." Daryl let out a sigh and started pacing. He ran a hand through his hair, "Is this the only one you've come across? Have you seen more?"

I left before Merle could answer and went to my jeep, pulling out the portable radio that Daryl had hung in the back. I started going through all the stations but I kept hearing this one message being repeated,

_The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message. This is a Civil Emergency warning. Do not venture outside your homes. Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way._

Turning the volume up, I looked back towards Daryl and Merle as the announcement was repeated once again.

"Guys, what does this mean? What do they mean by infected?"


	3. The World is Infected

**The World Is Infected**

Turning the volume up, I looked back towards Daryl and Merle as the announcement was repeated.

"Guys, what does this mean? What do they mean by infection?" I got out of the jeep and walked towards them, looking down at the motionless body that still lay in the black bag. "Is this thing infected?" I asked, pointing at it accusingly before looking back up at them with doe eyes.

Merle nodded his head, resting his hands on his hips, "I'm guessing so. That's probably why this mother didn' die when he hung himself. Possibly why he was eating hisself while he hung there too."

A thought popped into my mind and I let out a gasp, my hand flying to cover my mouth. "If it's being announced on the radio, it's probably already in the city." I said, mumbling past my fingers.

I pulled my bow off my shoulder and placed it in the back of the jeep. Grabbing my backpack, I rummaged through it, looking for my keys. Daryl rushed over to my side and placed a hand over mine, stopping my search. "Ava, what are ya doin'? What's wrong?" He said gently.

I sniffed, trying not to let him see the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. Barely above a whisper, the words came tumbling out of my mouth, "If it's already in the city, I need to check on my family. I have to see if they're okay, Daryl. If they've got this infection or whatever this is..." I paused and inhaled a deep breath before looking back at him, "I just need to know that they're okay."

He stared at me for a moment before nodding reluctantly and taking the keys from my grip, "Okay." He agreed, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Let's go. But I'm drivin' cause I ain't gonna let you drive while you're all shook up."

I nodded eagerly and tossed my backpack in the back seat before hopping into the passenger seat. "Where the hell y'all goin'? Ya can't just leave!" Merle yelled towards us. Daryl jumped in the driver's seat and rotated the keys in the ignition, bringing the engine to life, "Don't worry about us Merle! We'll meet 'ya back at the house later!"

With that said, Daryl revved the engine and pulled out from our camping spot. As we drove through the back streets to get to my family's house, all I could think of was their safety. I hoped that my mother and father would just be sitting in front of the television, keeping an eye on the news, or seeing to my sister - Serena - who would most likely be curled up on the couch with her a cell phone in her hands, texting her friends to make sure they were alright.

"...va! Ava!" I heard, Daryl's voice breaking through my thoughts. I shook my head to get out of the trance I was in and turned towards him, "What?"

"It's gonna be alright," Daryl reassured me, glancing to me before looking back at the road, "You're family's smart. They'll stay inside. They'll be _safe_."

I nodded thoughtfully and pulled my legs up to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up onto my street and the jeep slowed down to about 10 mph as Daryl's foot slightly elevated off of the gas pedal. As we drove down the street, we could see houses were blocked off by orange tape and cardboard signs with sloppy handwriting in red marker were posted in the front lawns. One sign read,

_The CDC has condemned this house.  
>Amount infected: 4<em>

We continued driving down the road, occasionally seeing piles of white rags along the curb. "What happened?" I asked softly, "We were only gone a week."

At that moment, a figure appeared that wandered aimlessly in the middle of the street. Daryl parked the jeep and got out, grabbing his crossbow. I climbed off my seat as well, sliding a hunting knife into my boot. As I followed behind Daryl, I could see him raise his crossbow and aim at the man, "Hey! You okay!?"

The figure turned around and we could now see that it wasn't human. Its skin looked lifeless and grimy. His, what used to be blonde hair, was now coated with crimson blood and disheveled. He was shirtless and had a bony exterior which gave away the large bite that was placed on his right shoulder. Its beady and cloudy, pale yellow eyes looked directly at us before limping towards Daryl and I, extending its limbs out towards us with gnashing teeth and dry groans.

We both backed up a few steps before Daryl raised his crossbow, muttering an apology and pulling the trigger, letting the arrow fly. I turned away and closed my eyes shut before the arrow could hit its mark, but that didn't stop my ears from hearing the squeal of the infected and the squelch as the arrow sank into its brain.

Only until the sound of a body hitting the ground did I look up. Daryl stood in front of the body and used his foot to push it over onto its back. I gasped as I halfway recognized the rotten face with skin hanging from its lip. "Mr. Handley." I whispered before I took off in a run to my own home. If my neighbor was infected, then what was the fate of my family?


	4. Forgive Us Our Sin

**Forgive Us Our Sin**

As I ran I could hear Daryl behind me, his voice calling my name and the sound of his feet hitting the pavement. But I didn't stop. I didn't care if there were a few of the infected scattered about the street, some lying on the ground with their stomachs torn open. A few others stood at a distance. All I cared about was seeing if my family was safe. My mother and my father, my younger sister; they had to be safe, no, they needed to be alive.

I ran until I couldn't run anymore. I ran past our mailbox and along our gravel driveway. I noticed one thing about our property; there was no sign saying anything about the CDC or condemnation. That was the only thing that kept me running. Even if the signs were posted, I wouldn't believe them.

I ran the distance that was our driveway. If felt like it took forever to get to my house. Even if it was set a ways from the main street, I knew that it wasn't that far.

Finally! I saw my house, my dad's truck parked outside. "They're home! They must be!" I thought to myself. My mom didn't really drive and my sister was only 11. I ran up the front porch and slammed into the door. Twisting the knob in my hand, my mind shouted "It's locked! Why is it fucking locked?!" I took a step back, my hands on top of my head, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.

I heard Daryl storm up the steps before I started rambling "The door's fucking locked! They never lock the door when they're home! They should've answered already..." I pressed myself against the door as I pounded my fist, yelling "Mom! Dad! Serena! Open the damn door!"

I felt a hand wrap around my wrist as Daryl jerked my fist away from the door "Ava, stop! Just fuckin' stop! Makin' your hand hurt ain't gonna open the damn door!" He put both hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him "Now settle down. Your parents, they must have a spare key lyin' around. Where is it?"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes "In the shutter, fifth slat from the top." I heard Daryl maneuver the slat and pull the key out. I didn't open my eyes until I felt him press the key into my palm "It's your house. You unlock the door" he whispered.

My hand shook as I put the key into the lock and turned. I closed my eyes again and prayed "Please be alive. God, please, let them be alive."

I pushed open the door and was met by an overwhelming smell of something that's been dead for a few days and has been set out in the heat. I cover my mouth and nose, calling out "Mom? Dad?" I walked from the front hallway to the living room door.

What I saw, I was not prepared for.

I let out a wail of despair as both hands flew to cover my mouth, my legs not being able to hold my body anymore. Before I could hit the ground, I felt an arm wrap around my waist as I sank slowly to the ground, a sob escaping my lips. I felt a pair of lips next to my ears, whispering and muttering "I'm sorry Ava. I'm so sorry you had to see that."

What I saw, was nothing any child should see what had become of their parents.

*Daryl's POV*  
>As I held Ava in my arms, her sobs shaking her body, I took the opportunity to look around the room. I saw written on the wall, in what looked like blood, the words "God forgive us". I looked down from the words to see Ava's father sitting in his recliner, wearing his good overalls, with the top of his head blown straight through. I shook my head "Damn bastard shot himself" as I saw the shotgun lying on the floor next to his dead wife.<p>

Ava gasped between her sobs as she started to push me away "Serena! I have to find Serena!" I let go of her as she dashed through the house, calling out her sister's name. I stood up, running a hand through my hair.

I walked into the kitchen to see if there was any food or water we could take with us. I kind of felt bad for raiding my best friend's family's house but hey, the son o' a bitch killed himself and his wife so, I would say that he doesn't need it anymore.

I saw a note with a small key lying on the counter as I walked past. I picked it up and before I could read it, I heard Ava call out "Daryl..." Just by the tone of her voice, I could tell something was up.


	5. Just One Bite

**Just One Bite**

- Ava's POV –  
>I stood at the top of the stairway, looking to the door that led to my younger sister's bedroom. On the door were locks ranging from dead lots to the sliding chains. "Daryl…" I called out and a minute later, the sound of his steps sounded ad he made his way up the stairs. "What's the matter, Av—oh." I looked up at him, starring across the hall, seeing that he had a piece of paper balled up in his hand. I walked up to him and tool his hand in mine, unclenching his fingers and grabbing the paper from his palm. Unrolling the piece of paper, I noticed my father's hand writing scrawled in messy lines. Starting from the beginning, I read,<p>

_"Ava, I have no clue what's wrong with the world. I only hope you'll come home soon before your mother and I are already gone. I'm afraid to say it, but your sister has come down with a fever. I think she may have bitten by one of those creatures, roaming the streets. Your mother was scared and begged me to lock her in her room. We hadn't the slightest idea on what to do. Apparently, just one bite will infect you. All we knew was that there were soldiers coming through the neighborhood and assassinating anyone who had the slightest fever, bite, or scratch. I don't know what to do anymore. Your mother doesn't want to travel to Atlanta where the refugee center is located at or even continue living in this world. As I'm writing this, she is sitting on the sofa, crying with my shotgun across her lap. I pray that God will forgive us in the end for what's about to happen. Please, be home soon. I don't care if you're with that redneck, Daryl. I only hope he has kept you safe which I know he has. He loves you, Ava. I can see it every time he looks at you. He may not say it in words but his actions scream it. You bring out the gentleness that's beneath all that dirt and grime and buried within him. He's a good man, Ava. Don't let him go. I love you so much, my daughter. Please be safe in this tribulation and apocalypse._

I stared at the yellow note for a moment before wadding the paper up in my hands and throwing it across the hall, screaming at the top of my lungs. I turned to Daryl, lightly punching his shoulder, "Where's the key, Daryl? Where's the motherfuckin' key?!" He held out hand in a fist as a response. "Dammit Daryl! Just fuckin' give it to me." I yelled, trying my best to pry the key from his hands. He grabbed my wrists, stopping my efforts. Looking me in the eyes, he was quiet for a moment until he reached a hand up and wiped away a tear that I didn't know had fallen off my cheek. Whispering with a steady voice, "Ava, you got no idea what's behin' that door. You don't know if she's alive or one of those things down in the street."

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head and turned towards Serena's door. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I said, "I don't care. I gotta see if she's okay. She's my sister and I have to look out for her." I turned to Daryl and cocked my head to the side, "What if it was Merle in there? Hell, what if that was you in there? Wouldn't Merle do what I want to do? Make sure that the younger sibling is okay?"

He shook his head and looked to the ground, suddenly becoming interested with his shoes, "You gotta remember, Ava, that did happen to me. I was left alone in the woods for nine days, havin' to fend for myself at the age of nine. No one came lookin' for me. Shit, no one gave a fuck 'bout little Daryl Dixon." He let go of my wrists and help his hand open, the key laying in the middle of his palm. Exhaling, he said, "I'm behin' ya every step of the way, whatever happens."

I looked down at the key and grabbed it from his calloused hand, wrapping my fingers around the cold metal. I looked up at Daryl to see his eyes trained on mine, "Right behind ya."

- Daryl's POV –  
>I watched as Ava went up to her sister's door, placing a hand on the wooden door, whispering her sister name, "Serena? You there?" After no response, she turned towards me and I nodded; she turned back to the door with a sigh and slid the key into the lock, hearing the soft click of it as she turned the knob to the side. She twisted the knob and pushed the door forward, walking into her little sister's room. When she opened the door, a gasp escaped her lips. As I walked forward, looking over her shoulder, I could tell as to why she did. There was a body, lying on the bed with its arms tied to the posts of the cherry wood headboard. Its wrists were rubbed down to the bone from where it had tried to escape, its shoulders being dislocated from all the pulling.<p>

I heard a soft sob escape Ava but before I could comfort her, she walked the few steps that were left towards the bed, kneeling down on the floor. The infected thing had somehow managed to maneuver its body to where its legs were hanging off the ledge of the bed. Its hands were clawing at the air as its jaw snapped, trying to take a bite out of Ava. "Ava-" I mumbled cautiously, raising my crossbow, ready to interfere if need be. "Daryl, shut up! It's fine." Ava said as she kept her eyes on _it_. She placed her forehead on Serena's, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry, sissy. I'm sorry this had to happen to you." Ava raised her head and pressed her lips to Serena's forehead, mumbling, "I love you, Serena." Before I could react, Ava had reached down and pulled a knife from her boot, stabbing her little sister in the side of the head. I lowered my crossbow, my mouth opening slightly in shock. I've never seen her move as quickly as she did and took a step back as Ava pulled the knife from Serena's skull.

As she wiped the blood on the blue, fuzzy carpet, she sat up straight and reached over the body to cut the ropes from her sister's wrists. Hearing Ava sniffle as she held her sister in her arms, I moved forward and knelt down beside her. In a hushed voice, I said, "Ava, we need to go. We should be meetin' Merle soon." She nodded and stood up, Serena still in her arms. She bent over the bed, laying the body down and crossing her sister's hands over her stomach. Brushing a strand of matted hair from her face, Ava whispered, "There. Now she looks like she's just sleeping." Wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks, she turned to me, crossing her arms over her chest. I looked her in the eyes with pity, "Are you ready to go?" She barely nodded her head, whispering, "Yeah, just let me get some stuff." I placed a hand on her elbow, gently rubbing a few circles into her skin, "Alright. I'm gonna see what kind of food I can gather and I'll meet you on the front porch. Ten minutes, okay?" She nodded in agreement, "Ten minutes..."

I went down to the kitchen and found a brown box they still had from when they decided they were gonna move three years earlier but it never happened due to expense. After packing all the non-perishable items I could find, I made my way to the front porch and sat down on the steps. Five minutes later, Ava came out with a duffle bag in her hand. I stood up with furrowed eyebrows, "Why ya got such a big bag? We ain't gonna go on vacation." She shuffled her feet, "Yeah, I know. But you can never be too prepared. Clothes in case I need em', the necessities and extra arrows. And I also kinda took my dad's Supergrade and the ammo that was under his bed." I shrugged my shoulders, "Alright. Ready now?" She nodded and made her way down the steps.

It seemed to take longer to get back to the jeep than it did when we first got to the house; I guess since Ava had taken off without a warning and I had to run after her. When we finally made it back to the Jeep, Ava threw her bag in the back and hopped in the passenger seat, pulling her legs up to her chest. I shook my head as I climbed into the driver's seat and cranked to the engine. Hearing the Jeep roar to life, I shifted the gear and drove the twenty minutes to the 'home' I shared with Merle. Throughout the whole ride, Ava never once talked. I kept trying to maybe start up some sort of conversation with her but the only movement she would make would either be a shrug of the shoulders or a simple grumble.

Pulling up to the house, I drove through the sparse grass up to the back door. Jumping out before Ava, I grabbed whatever bags that were in the back and led her into the house. Walking through the kitchen, I said, "I know it ain't much and it don't got that woman's touch or anythin' but it's what we call home." Walking to the small den, I called out Merle's name, "Merle! You home yet?!" Hearing only silence, I turned to Ava and said, "You can have my room. I ain't sure when Merle'll get back but knowin' him, he's probably gettin' himself shitfaced down at the bar. Maybe he's found some people who lived through this."

Ava nodded as I led her to my room, placing her bags on the floor. I turned to her, "Did ya want anythin' for dinner? I make a mean pot o' soup." She shook her head and softly said, "No, I just wanna sleep for now." I nodded and left the room. Before closing the door, I said, "If ya need anythin', I'll be on the couch. Don't be afraid to ask. If Merle's here in the mornin', we'll make plans on what we should do." Closing the door, I whispered, "Night, A."

- Later That Night, Daryl's POV -  
>Tossing and turning on the couch, I was dozing in and out of fitful sleep. It wasn't until Merle hit me with a pillow, slurring, "Ya lady friend's a caterwaulin' in ya room. Make her shut up! I'm tryin' to get some sleep." I sat up and threw the pillow back at him, "Get yer sorry ass back in bed, ya' drunk piece o' shit." He grunted and wobbled his way back into his room, leaving the door wide open for me to see his naked ass lyin' halfway on his bed. I shook my head as I stood up from my position. Making my way to my room, I pressed my ear to the door, only to hear quiet sniffling and a few soft sobs. Running my hands through my hair, I gently opened the door and walked in. I whispered, "Ava?" I heard her sniff as she tried to hide her crying, "Hmm?"<p>

Kneeling next to her bed, I put my hand on her shoulder, my thumb gently rubbing circles, "You okay?" I felt her shrug as she mumbled. I sighed and stood up but before I could turn away, I felt her hand wrap around my wrist, "Don't go, please? I don't think I can be alone tonight." I nodded, then realized she couldn't see, cleared my throat, "Ya sure?" I heard the sheets rustle as she moved over so there was enough room for both of us. I sat down on the edge of the bed and swung my legs up, lying on my back. She lifted the thin sheet and placed it over my body, curling up into my side.

I wish I could say that we used to sleep in each other's bed when we were little, but I can't. This is the first time that I've ever shared a bed with Ava. I never knew how soft her body could be. I stretched my arm so it wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her close to my chest. As I lay there, listening to her breathing slow down and feel her fist curl and uncurl on my chest, I thought to myself, _What if this were under different circumstances? What if I actually had the motherfuckin' balls to tell her I like her? Would we be sharing a bed like this every night? I mean, c'mon, Daryl. Wouldn't you love to have this every day? To possibly feel her naked body pressed against yours? To feel her nails scratch down your back?_

I mentally shook my head to clear my thoughts before my mind could go too far - not like it hadn't already. I looked down as a soft groan escaped her lips, seeing and feeling her whole body stiffen. I ran my fingers down her arm, placing a soft kiss on top of her head and mumbled into her hair, "You're safe now, Ava. Nothin's gonna hurt ya. I won't let it."


	6. On The Road

**On The Road**

- Daryl's POV -  
>I woke up the next morning to the sound of Merle banging around the kitchen. The only reason I knew it was Merle was because Ava was still in my arms, plus one of my arms was asleep on account of her laying on it all night. I smiled, thinking for a moment, of how nice it was to sleep with her in my arms, but then my mind decided to replay the images from yesterday; dead people walking, shooting them in the head, Ava's parents and their suicide, Ava killing Serena, coming home, Ava crying her heart out and her asking me to stay.<p>

I decided that I couldn't go back to sleep so I slowly moved my arm out from under Ava, the movement making her roll over on her stomach. I sighed and swung my legs over the side of the bed, pushing the sheet off. Standing up and stretching out my limbs, I made my way to the kitchen to see what Merle was up to.

As I walked through the door, Merle turned around from stirring something at the stove, "Mornin' baby brotha." I grunted in his direction and sat down, grabbing the bottle of, whatever alcohol was left sitting on the table, and took a swig. Merle turned his back and stirring the pot once more. Somehow, he was able to get the gas lit and was making what smelled like grits.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up, "So, your lady friend ended up being quiet last night. How'd ya do it? Did'ja sex her up real nice-like?" As he said that, he added a few hip thrusts in my direction. I took another gulp, letting the alcohol burn a path down my throat, and scowled, "Nah, man. Unlike you big bro, I don't take advantage of a crying woman who just lost her parents and had to stab her little sister in the head."

Letting the sentence hang in the air, I set the bottle down and said, "There's 'pposed a refugee center in Atlanta. We're leaving either today or tomorrow at the latest. I'm hopin' for today but only if Ava's up for it. You can come with us if you want."

Merle shrugged as he turned around with the pot in his hand, "Yeah I guess so. Someone's gotta protect ya little brotha'." He sat backwards in the chair and set the pot on the table and began to eat whatever slop he had managed to cook up. After taking a bite, he said with a mouth full, "If I don't look out for ya, who else will?"

I shook my head thinking to myself, _You never protected me, ya bastard. You where the one who ran away and let me take the brunt of the son o' bitch's beatings._ Pushing the chair behind me, I stood up and grabbed the pot, "Can't eat all of this ya pig. Got two other people who need 'ta eat." I pulled what used to be a coffee mug out of the cabinet and poured some of the slop in. Pulling a spoon out of the sink, I washed it as best as I could before sticking it into the mug. Walking past Merle, I placed the pot back in front of him an as I made my way to my room, I heard him call out, "Ya hardly fuckin' left me any!" I grunted and opened my door.

Walking in, I saw that she wasn't in bed where I had left her. Thinking she was in the bathroom, I set the mug on my dresser. My thoughts where confirmed when I heard a scream, then crash from the bathroom. I ran out into the hall to see Merle standing in the kitchen, "Was that you bro?" I shook my head and ran to the bathroom door, jiggling the locked knob. Banging on the wood with my fist, I called out, "Ava! Open up! You okay?! Open up!"

- Ava's POV -  
>Feeling Daryl move out of bed, I listened as he walked out of the room, waiting until I heard Merle talking to him. Pushing the blanket off my body, I sat up and thought over what happened yesterday.<p>

Sighing, I looked down and realized that I was still wearing the clothes from yesterday. Remembering what I had to go through, I suddenly had to wash the blood and dirt from my body. Standing up, I stumbled as I felt a little dizzy and rushed my way to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I fell to my knees in front of the toilet as my body tried to rid itself of everything in my stomach. There wasn't much there, seeing as how I the last time I ate was yesterday morning before we found out about the infection and everything.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I stood up slowly and pressed the handle on the toilet. When nothing happened, I figured that it was just broken. I moved over to the sink and grabbed the rag lying there. Turning the faucet, only a few drops of water escaped. I tried catching them, to make the rag at least a little damp, but to little avail.

I scrubbed at my arms, trying to wash away my dead sister's blood, along with the memories I had of having to stab her. As I scrubbed, I could feel tears running down my cheeks. I looked up at the mirror to see a dirty face looking back at me. I saw the reflection of someone whose parents had killed themselves because they didn't want to live in this world anymore, I saw a person who had to kill her sister and I hated to see that person.

Out of frustration, I screamed and punched the mirror, the glass shattering around me.

- Daryl's POV -  
>After banging on the door for what seemed like hours and not hearing a sound, I took a step back and brought my leg up, kicking in the door. Walking in, I saw Ava sitting in the tub with her knees drawn up to her chest. I looked around the room and saw the mirror was broken with blood spattered on it.<p>

Kneeling down, I reached my hand out to push some stray hair behind her ear. "Ava.." I said, murmuring her name as she looked up at me, streaks on her cheeks where her tears had dried up. I'm not sure what started it, but she started crying again, "I'm sorry Daryl. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

Grabbing the rag from the sink, I pressed it to her hand to stop the bleeding. Slipping my arm under her knees and behind her back, I lifted her up from the tub.

Walking out the bathroom, I almost ran into Merle as he stood there, "What happened there sweetcheeks?" I gave him a small glare and said, "We're goin' to Atlanta, today. Grab whatever, weapons, food; I'll meet'cha at the Jeep."

Carrying Ava to my room, I set her down on the edge on my bed and standing in front of her, I pulled the rag slowly from her hand. Seeing her wince, I muttered, "Sorry," before tossing the rag in the corner of my room. Going to the bedside table, I pulled out some peroxide and bandages that I've had from when I used have to clean myself up after the old man was finished with me. Grabbing a stray bottle of water, I knelt in front of the quiet figure.

"This might hurt a bit but I don't want'cha gettin' infection." She nodded and held her hand out. I poured some peroxide over her hand, feeling her squeeze my fingers as the liquid worked its magic.

After I had cleaned and wrapped her fist with some left over bandages, I grabbed Ava's bag and shouldered it. Grabbing the hand that wasn't injured, I lead her outside. Seeing a few of the dead around the fence that surrounded our house, I kept an eye out as I loaded Ava's bag in the back of the Jeep along with everything Merle had packed.

Merle came up to the Jeep, leading his motorcycle. Helping Ava up into the passenger side, I spoke up, "You're takin' yer bike? The sound alone could attract the dead fer possibly miles." Merle shrugged, "Well I ain't gonna squeeze between you and yer girl for the whole two hours. 'Sides, I like bein' alone and not listenin' to a snifflin' bitch."

I took two strides before I stood in front of him, "Shut yer mouth, Merle! It ain't her fault her idiot parents killed themselves and let their youngest t' die!" Merle moved his face so close that our noses were barely touching, "Yeah but ya' didn't see me bein' a pussy when our dad died, didja?" I pointed my finger at his chest as I growled under my voice, "That's a different story and you know it! That bastard beat us and did nothin' to care for us!" I stepped back, "Now I'm carin' fer Ava and we're goin' to Atlanta whether you like it or not. Folla' us, don't folla' us, it don't matter. I just have to keep her safe!"

Merle shrugged his shoulders and mounted his bike, "Well I gotta. Cause someone's gotta look out for my pussy of a brother cause he's gone soft." He started his bike, letting the engine growl for a few minutes before saying, "We don't stop till we haf'ta, got that? Now since ya got that Jeep, how 'bout you knock down that fence and run over some of those sons o' bitches."

I huffed and got into the driver's seat, bringing the Jeep to life. I looked over at Ava and nodded to her, "Might wanna hold on for a bit." I saw her brace herself as best as she could before I put the Jeep into drive and hit the gas pedal. Bringing my speed up, I aimed towards the fence, knocking it down along with a few dead in the process. It didn't take long before we were on the main road, heading for Atlanta.

- Some Time Later -

- Ava's POV -  
>The trip to Atlanta took a bit longer than I had thought. There were some points where we had to move cars out of the way and other times when we could just cruise right through. When we passed the sign that announced we would soon be entering Atlanta, I let out a relieved sigh as I saw another sign posting directions for the refugee center.<p>

As we neared closer to the city, the road was completely bare. But, the road leading out of Atlanta was a completely different story. Cars after cars were lined up, some containing bodies and supplies, but most were empty. I turned to Daryl as he slowed the Jeep down to take in everything that was before us. "Why would everyone be leaving? I thought the center was in Atlanta, not out of it." Daryl shrugged, "I dunno, A. I really don't know..."


	7. Always Be On Guard

**Always Be On Guard**

Pulling over to the side of the road, Daryl waited until Merle pulled back around on his motorcycle, the look on his face letting me know that he wasn't pleased with Daryl's decision to stop, "Why 'ya stoppin' boy? Figured we was gonna go all the way int'a the city." Daryl shrugged, "Figured we could stop here, set up camp, then scout out the city in the mornin'. Maybe find some good huntin' in the woods?" Merle contemplated this for a minute before grunting, "Yeah, I guess it's okay. Think Sweetcheeks over here can cook us up something to eat?"

I spoke up, "Yeah, I can cook. Better than you I'm guessing. And the name's Ava 'Sweetcheeks'." Merle snickered as he and Daryl began unloading a few camping things, along with some weapons, from the Jeep. As they set up the tent and placed a few sleeping bags on the ground, Daryl shouldered his crossbow and pulled me to the side, "Here's your gun. I took it out of your bag and loaded your clip. Don't use it unless it's an emergency. Got it?"

I took my gun and looked up at him, nodding as I swallowed past the lump in my throat. Before he walked off, he motioned towards the tent, "I also put your bow and a flare gun in there just in case you gotta set it off. I dunno if there's any unfriendlies 'round here, but better safe than sorry. Also, keep your knife out of your boot and use it against the crazies walkin' 'round here." He turned around and headed towards Merle, who was standing at the edge of the trees.

Before they walked off into the woods, Merle called out over his shoulder, "Keep a small fire goin' sugartits! I wanna be able to make dinner when we come back!" I flipped up my middle finger at him and mumbled under my breath, "Well fuck you, limp dick." As they headed off, I walked along the tree line, gathering sticks and twigs so I could make a small fire. After I gathered a significant amount of firewood, I walked back to the tent and started the fire with a match.

I sat there for a while, keeping the fire smoldering so there was just enough flames to keep the wood hot. The whole time I was sitting, I had only seen one of the dead walking around. I didn't get up to kill it, I wasn't going to do anything until it noticed that I was there. Standing in the middle of the road, it stopped, obviously sniffing around. Maybe it smelled the fire? Maybe it smelled me? I don't know. I stood up slowly as it turned around.

Seeing me, it raised an arm, its hand grabbing at the air. As it limped slowly towards me, I took my knife and got ready to throw it. As I moved my arm behind my shoulder, the body all of a sudden crumpled to the ground. I lowered my arm, curious as to why it had dropped dead for the second time when I heard a branch snap behind me.

I pulled my body into a crouch and turned on the balls of my feet, my dagger out and ready to defend myself. Seeing three men step out from behind the trees, they raised hands in surrender. The one standing in the middle was tall and muscular (I think I'll call him Hefty), kind of what I pictured someone in the Marines to look like. The right side of his mouth cocked up in a half smile, "Hey there, princess. Glad to see you're okay. If I hadn't shot that crazy, who knows what might've happened."

I stood up, my knife still in my hand, ready to defend myself if I needed to, "I was going to kill it." The one on the right, a thin Asian man (I'll call him Stick), laughed, "Haha, right." I narrowed my eyes at him before I took a small step forward and threw my knife, aiming at the tree behind his right shoulder. His face went white as I stepped forward until I stood in front of him by a couple of inches. Looking into his eyes, I reached over his shoulder and pulled my knife out of the tree, "I was going to kill it." He nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

The last man stepped forward (I'm calling him Pedro), "We're not saying you wouldn't. My name's Martinez. This is John (Hefty) and that's Tim (Stick). What's yours?" I took a step back, keeping the tent in my sight in case I needed to get to the flare gun. You never know what might happen, especially with a girl alone with three guys, "Ava. What're y'all doing around here?" John crouched in front of the fire, poking at it with a twig, "Ehh, just going on a run for our group. Thought we might hit the big city and grab what we need for our town." He stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans. Looking at me, he smirked, "Better question is sweetheart, what're you doin' out here? All by your lonesome?"

I took a small step towards the tent cautiously, "Headed to the refugee center in the city. Nothin' more, nothin' less." Martinez let out a short laugh, "Refugee center? Honey, there is no center. All the damn zombie things overtook the damn city. Hasn't been a refugee center since the second day of the outbreak. Once the infected were infected, they started biting and infecting others. Even the National Guard couldn't hold them off." John stepped closer to me, a glow in his eyes that I couldn't distinguish, "How about you come with us, sweetheart? We could keep you safe and you wouldn't have to worry your pretty little head about anything. We could even take you back to our town," He reached a hand out and brushed a few fingers against my cheek, "maybe even a nice warm bed and someone to share it with."

I moved my head away from his hand, a scowl coming across my face, "I wouldn't share a bed even if you were the last men on earth." John gritted his teeth and pointed a finger at me, "Bitch! I'd be the best you ever had!" A voice shouted from behind me, "Hey, John, Martinez! She's got a Jeep filled to the brim with guns and ammo!" John grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him, "Alright you little bitch! Gimme your keys and we're takin' you back to Woodbury. The Governor would love to have your piece of ass and your guns. I sure wouldn't mind having you once he's done with 'ya!"

As he began dragging me to the Jeep, I took my knife that I had been hiding and stabbed it into his thigh, twisting the knife before I let go. He howled and let go of me and as soon as my wrist was free, I placed my hands on his shoulders and brought my knee up to connect with his groin. As he doubled over, I scrambled to the tent, hearing John yell, "Martinez! Grab the bitch! Don't let her get away!

As I ran into the tent, I could hear Martinez call out, "Why'd you run into the tent? You aren't going anywhere there." I looked around before I grabbed the flare gun and stepped out of the tent, aiming it straight at Martinez's face. He froze in his steps and held his hands up, while John yelled, "Martinez! It's a fuckin' road flare! Just grab it out of her hands!"

As Martinez lunged for me, I aimed the gun towards the sky and pulled the trigger. The red flare shot out and up towards the clouds. It felt like minutes as I watched it climb higher, but it was only seconds before Martinez grabbed me and started dragging me, kicking and mumbling against his hand he placed over my mouth. He turned me over and started walking towards the Jeep, "She isn't alone. Why else would she fire the flare? We need to go before whoever she's with shows up." He struggled with me as he pulled me into the backseat. Tim pulled John up into the passenger's side before making his way to the driver's seat. Climbing up, he pulled the sun visor down, in hopes that the keys were there.

He was right. As he started the Jeep and turned it around on the main road, I managed to get Martinez's fingers between my teeth and bit down on them hard. As his hand flew away from my mouth, I took a deep breath and yelled as loud as I could, "DARYL! HELP ME!" Next thing I knew, I felt something slam into my head and all I could see and feel was darkness as it felt like I was floating away from everything I ever knew...


	8. Never Give Up

**Never Give Up**

- Daryl's POV -  
>As we walked through the woods, both Merle and I were quiet, trying to find something to hunt. Occasionally I would shoot down a squirrel and Merle would knife down an infected.<p>

"Daryl! I found some deer tracks. They fresh too, baby bro!" Merle called out. I walked over and knelt over the tracks, "Okay. Think we'll find it and make it back before dark?" He shrugged, "I guess. Why? You worried 'bout sugartits?" I scoffed, "Her name's Ava, Merle. I've known her for, what, 10 years? And you still refuse to call her by her God-given name? And yes, I don't want to leave her alone longer than she needs to be."

As I followed the tracks, I heard Merle give a small laugh behind, "Well looks like Princess Darylina here has found hisself his own princess. 'Ya reckon 'ya gonna fuck her soon? Or does she think she's too good 'ta fuck a Dixon? If you don't jump on that, man, I'd be glad to have a piece of that ass!"

As we came into a clearing, I turned on my foot and faced Merle, "There ain't no way I'm letting you be her first! You lay one finger on her, you best be sayin' bye-bye Little Merle." He stepped closer to me, a growl in his voice, "You threaten' me boy? You threaten' to cut my dick off? How 'bout since you hardly use yer's, yer's is the one that gets cut. And I can have whoever the hell I please. There ain't no way you can stop me, pussy!"

As I pulled my fist back, ready to unleash all my anger out on him, I heard a shot and the smell of smoke. Looking up to the sky, I say the trail of the red flare in the sky. "Ava..." I whispered before taking off towards our temporary camp. I didn't have to look over my shoulder to know that Merle was crashing behind me. Halfway there, I heard a yell that sent chills to my bones, my heart to drop to my stomach, and caused me to come to a halt, "DARYL! HELP ME!" Merle stopped, running into my shoulder, slightly panting, "C'mon, baby bro. We gotta save yer princess."

After what seemed like hours, we finally came to our camp. It looked like a tornado had made its way through it, there were tracks covering the ground and the fire was dead, "FUCK! They took the fuckin' Jeep!" I shouted. Making my way to the tent, I yelled, "Ava! You better fuckin' be in there or..." I pulled aside the flap and saw that everything but the flare gun lay untouched. Her bow along with her bag still lay in the corner where I had placed it earlier.

I let go of the flap and stalked over to where Merle was standing where the grass met the road. He stood up and threw a small rock, "They fuckin' took all the guns and ammo. The only thing they left was my bike and a few tire marks." I let out a sigh, looking around for some sort of clue as I ran my hand through my hair. Seeing something lying in the grass a few feet away from me, I shouldered my crossbow and took a few strides to where the object lay. Kneeling down, I picked up Ava's knife, covered in blood. Smirking, I stabbed the knife into the dirt, muttering, "At least she stabbed the motherfucker before they took her." Pulling the knife out of the dirt, I took a handful of grass and wiped the remaining blood off the blade. Folding the blade and placing it in my pocket, I stood up and called Merle over, "Pack everything up. I'm gonna try to follow the tire marks. See if I can see where they headed." Merle crossed his arms and laughed, "You won't be able t' find her. There's ain't no way. They gotta a good lead on us. Just give up on the bitch, Daryl. There's no findin' her."

That's it! I've had it! I took the few steps until I reached him, curling my hand into a fist and took a swing at him. I felt a surge of triumph as I felt my knuckles connect with his jaw, "That's for callin' her a bitch and sayin' we ain't gon'a find her! I will find her! I don't care if it fuckin' takes a day or a fuckin' year. I'M GON'A FIND HER!" Striding to Merle's bike, I dug the key from his bag and started the thing up. Kicking the stand up, I yelled over my shoulder, "Get this shit packed up. I'll be back." With that said, I pressed the gas pedal and followed the tire marks, ignoring Merle's shouting nonsense at my back.

- Ava's POV -  
><em>"Ava! Ava! Keep up! C'mon! You've gotta keep up babe!" I looked down and could see my hand entwined with someone else's. Following the arm up to the shoulder and the sleeveless plaid shirt, I cocked my head to the side to see Daryl looking down at me, his other hand resting on my cheek. As his thumb gently moves back and forth, I could feel my forehead scrunch in confusion, "Why?"<em>

_He looks over my shoulder, his eyes growing wide, "Cause we've gotta get these dead bastards off our tail. They already got Merle and there's no way in hell I'm lettin' them get you." He pulled at my hand, already starting to run the other way, "Now let's go!" Hearing moans behind me, I told my muddled brain to put one foot in front of the other and get the hell out of there. We ran until we came to a tree, the dead circling around us. Daryl stopped running, looking around in circles for a way out. Finding no way out of our literal circle of hell, he stepped close to me, his hands flying up to cup my cheeks, "You've go'ta climb the tree, Ava, and whatever you do, don't get out until they're gone."_

_I brought my hands up to circle his wrists, looking into his eyes that were shining with fear, "Not without you, I'm not." An exasperated growl crawled up his throat, "Yes, you are Ava!" I started to pull away, "No! I'm..." I was cut off as Daryl pressed his lips hard against mine. I gasped as I felt his kiss soften, my eyes slowly closing as I clinged onto him for dear life. Suddenly he pulled away, his forehead pressed to mine, his eyes closed. Licking his lips, he sighed, "Yes, you are, Ava. You're gon'a get 'yer ass up that goddamned fucking tree and you are not goin' to come down for any fuckin' reason, do you hear me?" I nodded, letting out a shaky breath, "Fine. But I don't fuckin' like it." He smirked as he pushes me towards the tree, giving me a boost to reach the branches. Reaching my hand down, he grabbed it as he started to climb up._

_As the dead came closer, he called out, "Ava! Just remember that I love you. I've always loved you." I called down. "I love you too, Daryl. Now, get your ass up here in this tree." He slowly shook his head, looking over his shoulder, "I only wish I could'a loved ya longer." As the moans grew louder, I grew more desperate, "Daryl! What the fuck are you talking about?! Get your fucking ass up in the tree right now! Don't fuckin' let me go!" The dead were closer now, I could see that it wasn't just a few, it was more like a herd. I looked down, sobbing, "Daryl, please don't be an idiot! Come on up! PLEASE!" He looked up at me, tears running down his cheeks, "I love you, Ava. With all of my heart." With that said, he let go of my hand and fell towards the ground. I let out a gut-wrenching "NOOOO!" as the dead hurled themselves at Daryl, their fingers tearing at his clothes and skin. I turned my head against the tree trunk and sobbed, the skies opening up as water drenched over me..._


	9. Run As Fast As You Can

**Run As Fast As You Can**

I sat up, gasping and dripping wet. "Well lookie here! The bitch princess awakens!" Looking over to the side, I saw John crouching with a bucket. Shaking my head free of water drops, I spat, "Fuck you." He smirked as he came a bit closer, his knuckles grazing my cheek, "Oh I would love for you to. I bet those pretty little lips would look great around my cock." Jerking my head away from his hand, I gathered what all was in my mouth and spat at him. Jerking his hand away, wiped at the saliva off his cheek. Snarling, he pulled his hand back and let it fly across my cheek. As my head lolled back against my tied arms, I saw stars as I tasted blood in my mouth. John laughed as I spat blood out the side of my mouth. As he stood up, I looked around to see that we were in what looked like the back of a delivery truck, "Where's my Jeep?" John laughed and shrugged, "Didn't need it. All we needed was you and your guns. Actually, we needed your guns more than you. You're just a consolation prize."

I kicked my legs out, trying to somehow reach him and make contact, crying out as the chains pulled at my already sore wrists. "Ah, ah, your royal bitchiness. Wouldn't want to harm that little body any more now, would we? The Governor likes his women feisty but also damage free." John wiggled a finger at me as he stepped towards the front of the truck, calling out for Martinez. I tried to block everything going on around me out as I heard John telling Martinez something about staying with me while he deals with stuff outside. Martinez looked over at me and nodded, running a hand over his head, "See 'ya later, Bitch Princess. Be good for Martinez now. I don't wanna hear that he's had to tie you up tighter, okay?" I kept my eyes trained on Martinez as he came to the back, carrying a small box with him, "Is big man on campus sending you back here to hit me more? Or are you just the person who keeps an eye on prisoners?"

Placing the box on the ground, he knelt in front of me, shaking his head, "No. I'm not here to hit you. I'd never hit a women. Men, on the other hand, I would." Opening the box, he took out a bottle of alcohol and a cloth, "John does want me to keep an eye on you, though, I don't think you'll be going anywhere with your hands above you. He just wants me to clean up any cuts and scratches you've received during the trip with us." As he rubbed an alcohol-soaked cotton ball over a few scratches, I decided to ask a few questions.

"How long have I been out and how far have we gone?" He reached back into his box and pulled out some bandages, "You've been out for about two days and we're about 20 miles from Atlanta. We're stuck on a highway right now so John and Tim are moving cars while I'm here, fixing you up and moving the truck along." I scoffed as he stood up and starting working on my hand that I had punched through a mirror a few days ago.

Looking up, I said, "Y'know, might be easier if you unchain me. Promise I won't run." Running a hand over his head, Martinez looked hesitant. "I don't know about that." I sat up straighter, rattling the chains a bit, "Please! I can hardly feel my hands as it is. Plus, I don't even know where we are, so where am I supposed to run to?" He looked at me before letting out a groan, "Fine! But if you do decide to run and John shoots you, I'm pretty sure he'll come chasing after you and give you hell about it." I nodded, "Okay. I'll deserve that because I apparently didn't run fast enough."

Shaking his head, he fished around in his pocket for the key. I smiled as he unlocked the chains, my hands dropping to my lap as I rubbed them to get the blood flowing again, "Thanks." He put the key back in his pocket, "Yeah, just don't make me regret it." He knelt back down and inspected my hand, his breath hissing through his teeth, "What'd ya do to your hand?" I shrugged and focused on the opposite wall of the truck, "Put it through a mirror." We were quiet as he cleaned and re-bandaged my knuckles. As he finished up wrapping my hand, he ran his thumb along the bottom of my wrist as he just held my hand. After a few silent moments, he mumbled, "Sorry about John being the way he is. He thinks just because he's the Governor's right-hand man, he can treat anybody anyway he wants." I shrugged, "It's alright. I know someone whose dad was like that to them and to any woman so I just don't let it get to me." His head jerked up, a small fire in his eyes, "But it's not okay for a guy to treat women like that! It's nev-"

"Martinez! Get your ass up front! We gotta move!" John's voice barked out. I heard a small growl come from Martinez's direction along with a quiet, "Fucker." I smiled, "He'll get what's comin' to him someday. Don't worry." He stood up and made his way to the front, sliding into the driver's seat and shifting into gear.

As we moved along the highway, I kept looking towards the back door. At one point, where I was certain that John and Tim were up ahead, I slowly crawled towards the back of the truck. I looked to front to see Martinez bent over a map. Whispering a, "Sorry, 'Tinez", I quickly opened the back door and jumped out. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I slid behind a car as shots were fired at me, "You bitch! You better get your ass back here!" I peeked around the corner of the car and saw John standing on top of an abandoned car, looking over the cars. I muttered, "Shit", as I ducked my head back. Taking a minute to look at my surroundings, I saw a short escape through the woods on the side of the highway. Taking a deep breath, I moved my body into a crouch and then pushed myself off, racing for my life into the trees.

Before I could break into the tree line, I heard behind me, "Gotcha now bitch!", and then a shot ring out as I felt a surge of pain rip through my left side.

- Daryl's POV -  
>"Merle! Merle! I found a camp on top of the quarry. We should go check 'em out, see if they know anythin' 'bout Ava." Merle looked up from the log he sat on where he was cleaning his gun, "We aren't gon'a mess with this group. It's gon'a be a long shot if they have seen 'er." I let out a sigh, "But Merle, they've got a Jeep that looks like Ava's Jeep. I'm gon'a check it out, even if you don't."<p>

Looking back down at his gun, he continued to clean it, "I said no baby brother and that's it." I let an angry growl crawl up my throat as I threw Ava's knife down into the ground, "Dammit Merle! I've gotta find 'er somehow! Fuck, will it make you wanna go look if'n I said they have guns and a couple blondes that look like they're beggin' to be fucked by 'ya?" He looked up when I said that, with an evil grin on his face, "Well why di'nt 'ya say that before? Ol' Merle's been looking to sow his seeds somewhere fer a while. Now how 'bout I put this here gun together and we go as soon as we can." I smile and nod, thinking,_Finally. I can get his ass movin' somehow_.

About an hour or so later we left Merle's bike at the bottom of the quarry and started walking up the hill. Once we got to the top, where their camp was, we heard a voice call out, "Shane! Got some visitors!" Merle and I stood our ground as a man, who I'm guessing was Shane came walking up with his hand on his hip holster, which carried a gun. I silently prayed that Merle wouldn't say anything stupid or anything about how the guy looked.

He stood a ways from us and said, "Who are 'ya? Y'all aren't bit or nothin'?" We shook our heads as Merle stepped forward, saying, "'Naw. We ain't bit. Just been cruisin' 'round. My little brother here," he turned and motioned to me, "followed a deer up here earlier and saw yer camp. He also saw yer Jeep up here that looks a bit like one we've been tracking' cause we lost someone a few days ago and she had a Jeep like that. Where 'bouts did y'all find it?"

Shane shrugged, "One of our men went on a run and found it along the road to Atlanta. Still had 'bout three-quarters of a tank left." I came up to Merle and whispered in his ear, "That's about where Ava was taken." Merle nodded and turned back towards Shane, "Well, I have a bargain to put t' ya. Me and my brother are pretty decent hunters. How's about we get y'all some deer or other meat in exchange for stayin' in the group with 'ya? That way, my brother and I can still be looking for our friend and y'all 'ill get some good eatin'?"

Shane looked like he was thinking about real hard until he looked over to the man sitting on top of the RV. That man had a concerned look on his face which caused Shane to turn back to us, "Well gents, how about y'all come over here and we'll talk?"


	10. Hopes Are Built and Dreams Are Crashed

**Hopes Are Built and Dreams Are Crashed**

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" I muttered as I ran through the woods, my hand clasped over my side that was throbbing with pain. I ducked behind a tree, thinking I heard crashing behind me. Peeking around the trunk, I let out a sigh, realizing that the sounds I heard were just my own footsteps. Leaning against a tree, I unbuttoned my shirt with my free hand, shrugging my shoulders, causing the shirt to slide down my arms. Bracing myself, I slowly pulled my hand off my side, my breaths coming out in pants. Seeing both my tank top and my shirt soaked through with blood, I leaned my head back against the tree, "Oh God!" Rolling my tank top up to my chest, I looked down to see that my worst fears were dispelled; the bullet only grazed my side instead of going straight into my stomach. I ghosted my fingers over the wound, my muscles clenching at the contact. It wasn't a shallow wound that was for sure.

I rolled my top back down and took my shirt and tied it tight around my waist, moving the knot so there was some pressure on the wound to try to slow the bleeding. I don't want to attract more dead then I possibly already was. I pushed myself off the tree, telling myself that I needed to find somewhere safe where I could fix myself up. Hearing something crunch behind me, I peered around the tree and saw one of the dead walking towards me. "Fuck!" I whispered to myself, looking around the ground for a weapon to kill the dead with. I picked up a rock and waited to see if it would come any closer. Suddenly, it stopped in its tracks, lifting its head and sniffing the air. I thought to myself, _What if it can smell blood or human odor like an animal? Well then, I guess I'm fucked._

I was drawn out of my thoughts by a growl escaping its mouth. Tightening my hand around the rock, I started to back away, praying that I wouldn't be noticed.

_SNAP!_

I let out a gasp as my hand flew up to cover my mouth. The dead snapped its head in my direction, its jaw moving up and down like it was already anticipating its next meal. _Aim for the head. It's gotta be the head, Ava,_ Hearing Daryl's voice in my head, I ran forward with a yell, crashing into the dead man's body. Falling down on the ground, I pressed my knee into its chest as I brought the rock down onto its skull, again and again, not stopping until there was only a puddle of brain matter and bone in front of me. I sat there, panting, blood covering my hands up to my wrists. I let out a groan as I feel a shock of pain shoot through my side. Dammit! If I don't find cover soon, I might be a meal. Think Ava! What needs to be done in order to ensure my survival?

** Flashback **  
><em>"Okay Ava. In order to hunt the deer, you have to either attract the deer or become one with your surroundings." I put my hand on my hip as I tilted my head, looking to Daryl, crouching in the mud, "Alright 'Oh Wise One'. How do we do that?" I saw the corner of his mouth lift up as he said, "Like this!" before he threw a handful of mud at me.<em> _"Daryl fuckin' Dixon! I'm gonna kill you!" I bent down and gathered some mud in my hand before flinging it at Daryl. Laughing, he dodged the mud, "No, yer gon'a kill the deer, not me!" He stood up, his laugh dying away, "But really Ava, you have to blend in with your surroundings in order to not be detected. At least, that's what Merle's always told me, before he left..."_

** Present **  
>Blend in with my surroundings. That's what I've got to do. Taking a breath and letting it out, I took the shirt off the dead person lying under me. Slipping it on over my arms, I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows before taking some of the blood and smearing it on my arms, my body heaving whatever air was in my stomach. Once I finished, I grabbed the rock and stood up, looking around to decide where which trail I should start walking. There's no way in hell I'm heading back to the road. Those dickheads could still be there waiting on me.<p>

Moss grows on the north side of the tree so I'll head east. Maybe some hunter has a cabin close by that I can hunker down in for a day or so. I swallowed against a dry lump in my throat, making a note to find a creek or something so I don't die of dehydration. Throughout the day, I ran into about three of the dead, each time sneaking up behind them and bashing the heads in. When it became dark, I still had not found any shelter. To avoid risk of attracting unfriendlies and things that wanted to eat me, I climbed into a sturdy tree and nestled myself between three branches and soon fell asleep.

I jolted awake the next morning to a sensation that I was falling. Wrapping my arms and legs around a branch, I looked down to see about five of the dead surrounding my tree, walking into it and trying to climb up to reach me. Everything on me must've dried and they could now smell me for sure. Feeling around on the tree, I realized that I didn't have my rock with me. Letting out a loud, "Shit!", I pulled a few pine cones from branches around me. Sending a prayer up, I aimed at one of the dead and threw with all my might. "Fuck!" I muttered as the pine cone only bounced of its head. I threw more, hoping that they might get the hint that they should run away from the oncoming barrage of pine cones.

"Why won't you fuckers just leave me the fuck alone?!" I yelled out of frustration.

_BANG!_

One of the dead fell down at the foot of the tree with a hole blown into its head. I looked in the direction where the shot came from and saw a flash of a blue dart behind a different tree, "Hey you in the tree, you okay?" A thousand thoughts went through my head as this person called out, _Who is this person? Can they be trusted? What if it's one of those guys from the road?_

"Hey! Are you alive?!" A few moments later, I took a chance, "Yeah, but as you can see, I'm kind of treed like a 'coon! Wanna shoot the rest for me?" I heard four more shots go off and four more bodies fall to the ground. Then the man walked up to the bottom of the tree. He was kind of heavyset, wearing a pair of overalls with a dirty shirt underneath and a ball cap on top of his head. He looked up at me and squinted, "Why don't you come down from there kiddo and I'll see if I can get 'ya some help?" I swallowed, my dry throat wanting to close up. For some reason, I could feel my grip slipping from the tree as I muttered, "I don't need any hel..."

For the second time in God knows how many days, all I saw was darkness...

_...the feeling of floating through fields of green..._

_...a beautiful white house. I've always dreamed of having a house like this with a few kids running around..._

_..."Found 'er in a tree surrounded by the sick. I had to shoot them. They went nobody we knew..."_

_...the feeling of something wet and cold touch my lips, my body wanting to inhale the liquid and take it all in. "Whoa there honey, just a little bit at a time..."_

_..."She has a small fever... Lost a good bit of blood… Needs to rest..."_

_"She's not gonna turn is she?..."_

- Daryl's POV : A Week Later -  
>"Keep drinkin' little man. I wan'a see how red your face can get!" I slapped Glenn on the shoulder as everyone laughed. As I sat down on the corner of the counter, Rick stood up and said, "It seems to me that we haven't thanked our host properly." T-Dog sat forward as we all raised our glasses, "He is more than just our host." I smiled and held the bottle up "Here's to 'ya Doc. Booyah!" We all cheered and laughed until Shane decided to bring the mood down by asking the Doc when he was going to tell us what happened at the CDC and where all the other people went. I let out a sigh to show my annoyance with Shane but listened as the Doc told us what happened.<p>

When he mentioned how many of the scientists had 'opted out' or committed suicides, my mind flew back to the day where Ava and I had found her parents, dead, in their living room. They obviously had opted out, not thinking that they could possibly have made it through all of this. I mean, hell, I have and I certainly hope Ava has as well. I was kicked out of my thoughts as Jenner stood up and said he would lead us to where we could spend the night. I grabbed a bottle of whatever was close to me because I sure as fuck wasn't going to enjoy this night since 'Mr. Buzzkill', Shane, ruined it. My thoughts were purely on what happened the past week.

After Jenner left us, what I supposed were offices, I grabbed a cot and chose one, shutting the door and locking it behind me. I wasn't going to take a shower now, I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I tossed my bag in the corner of the room, setting my crossbow against the desk. Sitting down on the cot, I kicked my boots off and pulled my legs up, leaning against the wall. _Why? Why did all this have to happen?_

As I pondered my thoughts, I took some gulps out of the bottle, my throat stinging as the liquid made its way down into my stomach. _Why did I have to lose Ava and Merle? What have I done to deserve this?_ As I took another gulp, I vowed to myself to drink the whole bottle. I might have the mother of all hangovers in the morning, but I'm never going to lose anybody ever again. I'm going to what I can to keep from losing more people.

_**HappyGoLuckyGirl: Thanks for your comment! And don't worry, I've got up to 37 chapters already written. But just keep reading ;)**_


	11. Unexpected Visitors

**Unexpected Visitors**

Sitting on the porch in one of the rocking chairs next to Maggie, I smiled as she said something about missing talking to her girlfriends about boys and shopping. Looking to her, I said, "Well you've got me. Next time you go on a run, take me with you. These stitches have to come out sometime and I'm pretty sure I'll want to be out doing something by then. We just have to let your dad know. I would love to have a few pairs of nice underwear, even though there's no one to see them." Maggie laughed, "You and me both, Ava. Even though there aren't any guys around here, it just feels nice to wear something sexy. Who knows, maybe your Daryl will magically appear and you two will have the most romantic night of your life!"

I let out a snort, "Pfftt! He's probably stopped looking for me. His jackass of a brother has probably convinced him that I'm dead. Or worse, he's completely forgotten about me." We sat there for a while, just enjoying the breeze and the quiet before my eyes caught sight of something moving in the distance. I sat up as straight as I could with the stitches still in my side, a sharp gasp escaping my lips, "Maggie, what's that?" She stood up, squinting, "I dunno. Whatever it is, it's moving fast. Hand me the binoculars." I grabbed them and stood up next to her, passing them to her.

Lifting them up to her eyes, she let out a gasp, "It's a guy. He's holding a boy and there's blood all over his shirt." Lowering the lenses from her eyes and passing them to me, she turned and ran inside calling out for her dad. Looking through the lens, I saw the man, dressed in what looked like a sheriff's outfit, stop for a minute, adjusting his hold on the boy before starting forward again.

As he made his way to the porch, Hershel came out of the house and hollered, "Was he bit?" The man shook his head, cradling the boy closer as he panted out an answer, "Shot. By your man." Patricia spoke up in disbelief, "Otis?" The man spoke as Hershel met him as the foot of the stairs, "He said to find Hershel. Is that you?' Hershel nodded as the man asked for help. It was then that Hershel started giving out commands, "Patricia, I need my full kit. Maggie and Ava, painkillers, coagulates; grab everything." Maggie nodded as she grabbed me by the arm and pulled with her.

As we went in the other room to grab the medical supplies, I could still hear Hershel giving orders. When we brought everything that was needed into the spare room, the man was pressing a pillowcase to the boy's wound. I grabbed the bag of saline so Hershel could start an I.V. drip. We were quiet for a moment before Hershel announced that he found a faint heartbeat. I let out a soft sigh, knowing that for now, Hershel could possibly save this boy's life. I mean, if he saved mine, he sure as hell could save the boy's. When Maggie gave her father the I.V., I put my hand on the man's elbow asking him for his name, "Rick. Rick, my name's Rick." I gave him a small smile, "Okay, Rick, Hershel is going to do everything he can. We just have to give him some room." Gently pulling on his elbow, I steered him into the foyer. When we walked into the hall, Rick looked out of the window to see two men running towards the house. One of the men was Otis but the other man was, I'm guessing, part of Rick's group. Rick turned away from me and made his way outside. I shrugged my shoulders and went into the kitchen to prepare some water to boil whenever it's needed.

Later, I was called into the guest room to help with Hershel with the boy, whose name we were told was Carl. I grabbed some gloves and slid them on, putting my hand on the boy's chest as Hershel began to look through the wound for fragments of the bullet. As Carl started to react to the procedure, Hershel told Maggie to get Carl's father so we could get his blood which was the same type as his son's.

As Maggie led the men into the room, Carl started thrashing more and calling out for his father. Hershel told the other man, Shane, to hold Carl so I could prep Rick to draw blood. As I wiped the crook of Rick's elbow and got the needle ready to pierce his skin, Carl let out a scream to which Rick yelled back, "Stop! You're killing him!" I grabbed his arm before he pull away from me as Hershel asked, "Rick, do you want him to live?" I looked at Rick as he stared at his son, "He needs blood Rick and you're the only way we can give it to him. So do you want your son to see another day or not?"

He was quiet for a few seconds before he turned back to me, his free hand moving to grip my shoulder, hard. I held his other arm, tapping at his veins to get them to rise. Finding one, I pierced it with the needle causing Rick to let out a small grunt. I held the needle in place with my thumb, as I grabbed some tape. All of a sudden the room was quiet. We all looked to Carl as Shane sat up, wondering what had happened. As we all looked to Hershel for the answer, he said as he fished a piece of the bullet out, "He just passed out." Dropping the shattered piece of bullet into a can, Hershel let out a breath, "One down, five more to go."

Patricia then came over and connected Rick to a makeshift blood transfer and had him sit down in a chair. I grabbed all of the instruments and made my way to the kitchen as Hershel bound the wound loosely. Dumping the tools into the pot of boiling water, I took my gloves off and threw them away. I poured Rick a glass of orange juice and grabbed a few cookies before going into the foyer. Standing next to Rick, I handed him the glass and the cookies, telling him to eat and drink slowly. I sat down next to Maggie as Shane and Rick continued their conversation about how Lori needed to be there and how she needs to know that her son has been shot. Shane finally convinced Rick that he needed to be there for Carl because he would never forgive himself if something bad happened.

Breaking up the conversation, Hershel stepped out of our makeshift emergency room saying, "He's out of danger for the moment. But I need to remove those remaining fragments. That first one was the shallowest one and I need to go deeper to get the others." Shane let out a sigh before Hershel continued, "There's more. His belly is distended. His blood pressure is dropping which signals that there's internal bleeding. A fragment must've nicked one of the blood vessels. I'm going to have to open him up to find the vein and stitch it up. I have to put him under so he won't be able to move at all. To do that, I'm going to need instruments that I don't have." Otis stepped forward and said, "There's a FEMA shelter at the high school that has all kinds of things that you'll need."

Shane looked at him, "Give me a list and I'll go get it." Otis shook his head, "No, I'll go. I'm the one that got the boy into this mess so I'm going to help get him out of it." I nodded, "How about I go with both of you? I was in my second year of nursing school when all of this happened so I can help you look for everything you need." Hershel spoke up, "No. Ava, you need to stay here. If that school is overrun, you won't be able to run very quickly because you might tear your stitches out. Plus, I need you here to help with the boy." I let out an annoyed sigh and nodded, muttering, "I'll go make that list."

- Daryl's POV -  
>"We'll lose the light before too long. I'm thinkin' we should call it." I look towards our small group, knowing that we're all pretty tired and need a rest. "We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked. Lori nodded and said that we'll find Sophia tomorrow. I hope so. I'm just tired of this whining. We better find her tomorrow 'cause there ain't no way I'm losing anybody again. I whistle and lead the way back towards the road.<p>

"How much farther?" Lori spoke up. _Damn, I swear if she don't shut up,_ "Not much farther. Maybe a hundred yards, as the crow flies." We keep walking until a scream broke our silence. Running towards the sound, we found Andrea on the ground, crawling away from one ugly looking walker. I grabbed an arrow and set it in my bow, taking aim before getting ready to shoot. But before I could even shoot, something rode past me and bashed a bat into the bastard's chest. Freezing in our spots, we could see that there was a random girl on a horse.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" We all looked to Lori as the girl continued, "Rick sent me. There's been an accident. Carl's been shot." Without one more word coming out of that girl's mouth, Lori is already climbing up on the back of the horse. I reached out to stop Lori, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't know this girl! 'Ya can't get on that horse!" Before she could turn the horse around, she mentioned that Rick had told her about the rest of the group on the highway, "Backtrack to Fairburn Road, two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox with the name Greene." And with that she rode off into the woods.

We were quiet for a minute before the walker that the girl had knocked down started to sit up. I aimed at it and shot my arrow through its head, "Shut up."

**hey readers! Thank you so much for following my story. If you would like to see some visuals that go along with the story, y'all can follow me at .com**


	12. I Found You

**I Found You**

Holding the boy's small wrist in my hand, I kept two fingers on his weak pulse, counting the beats in the span of a minute. After a minute passed, I placed his arm down on the bed, figuring out his blood pulse. At that moment, I heard the front door shut and two sets of footsteps make their way to the room. Looking up I saw Rick and who I assumed to be the boy's mother stand in the doorway. I got up as the mother made her way to the bedside, placing her hands on the boy's head. Gently placing my hand on Rick's shoulder before leaving the room, I whispered, "I'll let y'all be." He nodded, his eyes fixed on his wife and son.

Standing outside of the room, my head facing the floor, I looked up as a hand rested on my shoulder, "How is everything, Ava?" I looked up to see Hershel beside me. Shaking my head, I mumbled, "It doesn't look good, sir. I was trying to take his pulse but even with the extra blood that Rick's given, it's still real faint. I'm not even sure he might pull through." Hershel nodded, looking around the corner at the small family gathered around the bed, "Well, Ava, sometimes we may never know what's going to happen, especially in a situation like this. All we have to do is keep praying and have faith that miracles can happen. But that wasn't what I meant when I asked how everything was. What I meant was, how are you pulling through this?"

Looking back down at the floor, I could feel tears start to well up as I thought back to my family and how I had lost them, just like I had lost Daryl. In the back of my mind, I knew what Hershel was trying to get at. I had told him my story after I had woken up in the same bed that this family was gathered at. He wanted to know how I was coping with seeing this family together, even if their son might not make it. I shrugged before bringing my hand up to my face and brushing away some stray tears, "I don't know, Hershel. I just like to think that I might have someone out there looking for me but I don't think he is." Hershel smiled and placed a finger under my chin, lifting my head so I could look at him, "What did I say just a minute ago, Ava? All we have to do is have faith that miracles can happen." I sniffed before throwing my arms around him, smiling as I felt his wrap around me. Pulling back, he lifted his hand and brushed back some stray hair, "You know, even though you've only been here about a week and a half, I already think of you as my daughter. Maggie and Beth have always needed someone close to their age that they could count on besides each other. You, my dear, are a blessing from God in the midst of all this tragedy."

I let out a soft laugh as he pressed a short kiss to my forehead, "Now, I need you to get some juice and cookies together for Rick because Patricia and I are going to do another transfusion. Maggie is sitting outside waiting on the rest of Rick's group to arrive. As soon as Otis and Rick's man get back from their run, I'm going to operate on the boy. Will you be willing to help me? I already have Patricia helping but since you already have some medical training, I was hoping that you would be able to be my assistant." I nodded, "Yeah, whatever you need me to do, I'll certainly help." He gently squeezed my shoulder before stepping into the guest room.

* * *

><p>I stood, leaning against the counter as Patricia and I waited on the water to boil so we could sanitize whatever instruments we had that we could use for the operation. I crossed my arms as Patricia let out a loud sigh, "Where are they? It's getting late and they should be back by now." I ran a hand through my hair, shrugging my shoulders, "They'll be here soon. Otis knows the way, he'll get everything that's needed." I moved away from the counter and motioned towards the living room ,"I'm gonna try to sleep a bit before they come back. Wake me as soon as something happens?" Patricia nodded and I made my way to the living room, laying down on the couch and shutting my eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ava! Ava! Wake Up! They're back! I'm going to set up, you go get everything they brought back." I sat up, my heart pounding in my chest. <em>They made it back! This is really gonna happen! Oh God, if you're listening, please help us. Help that boy pull through.<em> I rushed outside and saw only Shane standing next to the truck with Otis' gun. I cocked my head at him as we take the supplies off his shoulder, "Say nothing to Patricia. Not until after. I need her!" I ran back inside with Hershel, carrying a bag of supplies. We got to the room and I shut the door behind us.

* * *

><p>Time passed until we finished the surgery. I couldn't tell you how much time had passed but I could tell you that it felt like it took all night. I stitched Carl's side up as Patricia left the room with the used, bloody instruments. I took my gloves off and threw them away before going upstairs to change. Before I hit the stairs, Maggie handed me a pile of Otis' clothes, asking me to give them to Shane and to show him where the bathroom was. I nodded and went to find him. I ran into him as he came out of Carl's room. I backed up a few steps and handed the clothes out to him, <em>Something about this man just wasn't sitting right with me.<em> "Bathroom's upstairs. Here's some clean clothes. They might not fit well 'cause they were Otis'."

I waited a minute to see if he would say anything but he just stared off into space with a shocked look. I mouthed, "Okay" and walked off to my room that I was sharing with Maggie. Changing into a pair of shorts and a long sleeve shirt, I threw myself onto the spare bed and was out like a light, not even waking up when Maggie came into the room.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, I made my way to the bathroom and took a quick, cold shower. As I finished drying myself off, I dressed back into the shorts and top I wore to bed last night. Opening the door to the hallway, my stomach growled at me, signaling that it had been hours since I last ate something substantial. Walking back to my room, I slipped my feet into a pair of boots, <em>I've got the most mismatched wardrobe on the planet. But hey, if it fits.<em> As I stood up, I closed my eyes as the room started spinning, _I've got to get something to eat or else Hershel will have my hide._ Walking down the steps, I stopped as I heard a noise that sounded like a motorcycle.

_No! It can't be! Can it?_

- Daryl's POV -

I kicked the stand down, balancing Merle's bike on the ground. I swung my leg over and walked with our group that was already scattered in front of the house as Rick and a few extra people gathered in the front yard. Dale spoke up first, "How is he?" Lori smiled, nodding her head, "He'll pull through. Thanks to Hershel and his people." I let out a sigh of relief. At least this kid was gonna be okay.

_SLAM!_

Everyone looked to the porch as the front door slammed shut. My eyes widened as I looked into the eyes of Ava who stood there, her whole body shaking as she breathed in and out, tears streaming down her face, "Daryl?" A hand flew to her mouth as my name escaped her lips. That was all it took. I don't care if there were people standing around me, looking at me like I was crazy. I didn't even feel the tears fall onto my cheeks as I made my way to her.

Before I could even realize what was happening, I saw her eyes roll to the back of her head before she fell at the top of the stairs. I flew the last few feet, mumbling her name, my hands hovering over her afraid to touch her. I saw hands reach for her out of the corner of my eye. I grabbed my knife and stood up fast, coming face-to-face with the man named Hershel. He swallowed against my knife, his hands in the air, "Son, I'm just going to take her to her room. She probably hasn't eaten since yesterday morning. And all of this excitement has probably taken its toll on her. So, if you want her to wake up, I think you best put the knife away and let me help her."

I took a few breaths before nodding and stepping away, putting my knife back in its sheath. I bent down and slipped my arms underneath her, moving so her head was resting on my shoulder. I turned to Hershel, "Where to old man? He motioned towards the door, opening it and letting me walk inside before following after me, "Up the stairs and the second door on the left." I nodded and walked up the stairs, being careful to not knock Ava's head into the wall. I heard Hershel behind me, telling someone named Beth to make Ava a sandwich with some juice to drink.

When I got to her room, I stood in front of the door, waiting on Hershel to turn the knob and push open the door. I walked in and laid Ava down on a bed as gently as I could. As her head rested on the pillow, I brushed some stray hairs behind her ear, studying her face that I hadn't seen in what seemed like years. I sighed, _She's still just as beautiful as ever_. I sat down on the bed next to her as Hershel rummaged through a bag he had carried upstairs, "So I take it you're the infamous Daryl Dixon. I've heard a lot about you." I looked up, scrunching my forehead in confusion, "You have?" Hershel nodded, "Yes. She's never forgotten about you, or forgotten about the fact that you were looking for her. She may have faltered in her faith along the way but that comes with the territory. Ahh! Found it!"

I turned to see that he was holding what looked like a vial of crystals. I cocked my eyebrow at him, "What's that stuff?" He popped the lid off, saying, "These are smelling salts, son. They may be a bit old fashioned, but they work. My wife, Jo, used to carry them in her purse. She used to say that you never know when the time would come to use smelling salts." Before he could even attempt to do what he was going to do, the door opened and in walked a young blonde girl, her hair up in a ponytail. She set the food down on the nightstand, "Here you go Daddy. Is she gonna be okay?" Hershel nodded, "She will be. I was just about to wake her up using your momma's smelling salts." _So this must be Beth_. She nodded and ducked out of the door.

Hershel turned and handed me the vial, "Here you go son. I'll let you be the one to wake her up, now that you're here." I took the vial and looked at it, raising my eyebrow "What 'xactly am I 'posed to do with it?" Hershel gave a small laugh, "All you have to do is pass it under her nose a couple of times. The smell alone will wake her up." I shrugged my shoulders and brought the vial up to my nose, pulling it away as soon as I smelled it, my eyes widening, "Wow! Yep, I'm sure that'll do it." Hershel chuckled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I looked down at the small crystals in my hand, then over at Ava. Sighing, I knelt on the floor beside her muttering, "Well, here goes." I took the vial and passed it under Ava's nose a few times before setting it on the nightstand. As soon as I set it down, Ava gasped, her eyes flying open. I sat up straighter as she looked around the room. As her eyes landed on me, I smiled, whispering, "Hey." She smiled back, her hand moving to cup my cheek, "You found me" she said as a single tear rolled down her cheek. I nodded, my hand moving to cup her cheek, my thumb swiping away the glistening tear. Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I choked out, "Yeah, I found you and I'm never letting you go again."

**zombiegurl: thanks so much for your review. If you want to read a Daryl fanfic that shows he has a life before the ZA, you should check out "Life I Left Behind" by Aint_It_Fun My story is nothing compared to hers! She is awesome!**


	13. Cherokee Rose

**Cherokee Rose**

As I sat up in bed and ate my sandwich that Beth had brought me, I listened as Daryl told me everything that had happened since the day I was kidnapped. I listened as he told me about losing Merle and how they found a group of old people. I listened as he told me about the CDC and about how there wasn't a cure; there never was a cure. And then I listened as he told me about the promise he made to a lady named Carol and about how he would find her missing girl, Sophia. I nodded and drank the last bit of juice, "You'll find her Daryl. You're the best tracker I know."

At that moment, someone knocked on my door and popped their head in,"We're havin' a memorial for Otis soon, if you wanna come down." I smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'll come. Just give me a minute to change?" She nodded, sneaking a glance at Daryl before closing the door behind her. I let out a sigh as I moved my legs over the side of the bed. Daryl stood up, holding his hands out for me to take. I shook my head, "I can stand up, Daryl. It's not like my legs don't work." He still stood there, arms out, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I stood up, probably a little too fast, and stumbled a bit as soon as my legs straightened out. Daryl caught me by the elbow, a full-on smirk painted on his face, "Now see, a'int 'ya glad I stayed?" I huffed and pulled my elbow from his grasp, swatting at his arm, "You're a cocky son of a bitch, aren't 'ya?" He laughed, "Yeah, but I'm yer cocky son ov'a bitch." I felt my cheeks heat up once he said that. I shuffled over to my dresser and pulled out some clothes, "Turn around, Daryl." He scoffed, "Why? I done seen 'ya in 'ya bathing suit before. It aint that much different."

I shook my head, "Please Daryl. Just turn around." He huffed but turned around, his arms crossed at his chest. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at his back. I don't want him to see my wound, not just yet. I quickly changed into jeans and a tank top. Grabbing my boots, I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled them on. "You still wear that?" My hand flew to my neck where my four-leaf clover charm rested. I nodded my head, "Mhm. It's my good luck charm." Looking up, I witnessed Daryl nodding, "I 'member when you first wore it. That was the day you shot 'yer first buck."

I cocked my head at him, wondering why in the world of all days to remember, he chose that one. Then recognition hit me! It was the day where I was so excited about shooting my first buck that I had kissed him. And he had kissed me back! "Ava! Earth to Ava!", Daryl snapped his fingers in front of my face, knocking me out of my memory. He held his hand out to me, "Ready to go downstairs?" I swallowed around the lump in my throat and nodded, sliding my hand into his rough one. Giving it a little squeeze, he lead me downstairs and to the door. Letting go of my hand, he reached forward to open the door, not even moving his hand once the door was opened. _Come back Daryl! I like holding your hand!_ Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I chided myself for thinking such things. He turned around and motioned his head towards the tree where everyone was gathered.

* * *

><p>Throughout the whole time Shane spoke, something just didn't feel right. The story he told just seemed like it wasn't told right. Especially the looks that would pass over his face. Thoughts ran through my mind, <em>Why did he come back with Otis' gun? Why are his eyes all shifty? Why does he look like he's guilty?<em> I looked over to Daryl and saw that his face showed nothing; not even what he was thinking. Once this is over, I need to talk to him.

* * *

><p>"Ava! Whatcha starin' at?" I shook my head, squinting at the shadow in front of me, "Hmm?" I heard a soft laugh escape his lips as he sat down next to me, "You been starin' at me fer the past ten minutes it took me to put up my tent. Now, what's up? What's runnin' through that noggin of yers?" I took a deep breath, "How well do you know Shane?" Daryl bit at the side of his thumb, "Eh, not that well. But I know he seems to do pretty well in keepin' Rick safe, even though everyone in the camp 'sides Rick knows he fucked with Lori. He seems like he's got secrets though."<p>

I nodded, "That's what I was afraid of." Turning to face Daryl, I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth before letting it go, "He came back from the run last night with Otis' gun. Now why would he have his gun if he just told everyone that Otis decided to stay back to give him time? Who takes the man's gun and lets him fend for himself against a horde of walkers with nothing but his fists?"

Daryl nodded and dropped his hand, "I see whatcha mean. I'll keep an eye on him." Daryl stood up wiping his hand on his thigh, "I'm goin' down to creek to look fer Sophia. Do 'ya wanna come?" I looked up and nodded, "Yeah, I wanna help look for her. I know it's not fun being out in the woods alone." Daryl smirked, "Thought you'd say that. Gotcha a lil somethin' 'fore we leave though, so foll'a me."

I stood up and followed him as he led me over to the RV. Telling me to stay where I was, I watched as he went inside. A few minutes later, he came out carrying a box and set it down on the ground. He stood up, "Go ahead, open it." I looked at him, my forehead scrunching in confusion. Bending down, I lifted the lid to find my bow, arrows, quiver, and knife lying on the bottom. Bringing my hand to my mouth, I turned on my heel, bringing my eyes up to Daryl's. "Really? You saved 'em?" I mumbled through my fingers. He nodded, shuffling his feet, "Yeah, I knew you would want them as soon as I found you. Here you are." I jumped up and threw my arms around his neck, my face buried in the space between my arms and his neck, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I smiled even bigger as I felt his arms tighten around me.

* * *

><p>Walking into a clearing, I saw a house hidden between some trees. As Daryl readied his crossbow, I did the same with my bow, making sure not to draw the string back to far or else my stitches might come loose. <em>I need to let Hershel check on them when we get back<em>. Daryl turned around and whispered to me, "Check around the house while I check inside." I nodded and watched as he kicked the door in. _Damn, he really knows how to work it._ I shook my head, sighing at myself, _Okay, Ava, you need to get your head in the game. You're looking for a little girl, not fantasizing over your best friend who possibly has a love interest in you and that might have the same feelings._ Pinching myself on the arm, I quickly shed the thoughts, although they still lingered in the back of my mind.

Circling the house, I found nothing harmful, not even any poison ivy. As I rounded the side of the house, I came upon a white flower waving in the slight breeze. I knelt on the ground in front of it, my fingers reaching out to stroke the velvety petals. I smiled as a thought flitted across my mind. "Cherokee rose" Daryl said behind me, "'Member what I told 'ya 'bout 'em?" I nodded, "Yeah, you told me that during the time when the Cherokees were ordered to leave their land, there were children who were lost or who had died. The elders then prayed, asking for a sign to cheer up the grieving mothers, to make their spirits soar like eagles. Then the next day, all along the trail where the mothers had fell down from crying so much, this flower started growing. Everyone took it as a sign that there's still hope in the world, even through the pain and sadness."

I turned around, "You should give this to Carol, to show her that there's still hope for finding her little girl." Daryl looked down for a minute before nodding, "Yeah, reckon I will." I turned back to the flower, picking it at the center of its stem. Standing up and shouldering my bow, I asked, "Did you find anything in the house?" Daryl shook his head, "She might've been there. There was a small bed in the cupboard and a fresh tin of sardines that was lyin' in the trash. I also found something that you might have some interest in."

I cocked my head at him as he pulled his hands from behind his back. In one was a can of peaches and in the other was a can of pineapples. I let out a small squeal as I looked up at him to see his blue eyes shining, "We're eating good tonight! I bet I can make some peach cobbler with this tonight and just have the pineapples for later." Daryl's eyes lit up even more, "You gon'a make cobbler? Well shit! We better get back before dark."

**Lunerusso: thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it!**


	14. Never Underestimate Your Importance

**Never Underestimate Your Importance**

"Wow Ava! This has to be the best peach cobbler I've ever had! In fact, I don't think my mom ever made peach cobbler."

"Haha, thanks little man." I smiled and ruffled Carl's hair before standing up. Grabbing his bowl and spoon, I made my way to the door, saying, "Now, I've got to make sure there's some left so Daryl can have some. He's a sucker for my peach cobbler."

As I opened the door, I heard his voice call out, "Ava? Do you think Daryl will find Sophia?" I turned around, leaning against the door hinge, "Yeah. I think he will."

"But it's been a few days! What if-"

I cut him off saying, "Carl, sometimes you've just gotta have faith like a mustard seed. Even though that mustard seed is teeny-tiny, once you plant it, it grows to be this big bush! Plus, Daryl taught me all I know." I paused, tapping my fingers on the wood, "I'm going to tell you this but you've got to promise that you won't mention it to anyone!"

Carl sat up straighter and nodded his head. I smiled, "When Daryl was about nine, he was lost in the woods for about nine days. No one even bothered to look for him. He survived by sleeping in trees, eating berries, and using poison oak as toilet paper. But what did he do? He found his way home and survived. His butt itched something awful, but he survived. So if you ever doubt if Daryl can do something, just remember that survived the woods for nine days."

Carl smiled and nodded. I nodded back, "Now get some sleep. Sooner you heal, faster you can be outside with your dad." I walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. Turning around, I walked straight into a human wall. Looking up, I saw Rick's tired eyes looking down at me. Backing up slightly, I cleared my throat, "He just ate some peach cobbler so he's doing okay. Give him about another day and he'll be out looking for Sophia with everyone else."

Rick just nodded, muttering a 'thank you' and walked quietly into his son's room. Depositing Carl's dishes in the sink, I put what was left of the cobbler in a clean bowl. Grabbing a spoon, I made my way to where Daryl had pitched his tent. But before I could walk down the porch stairs, Hershel caught me by the elbow, saying, "When you get back, I'll take a look at those stitches and see if we can go about taking them out." I nodded, smiling.

Arriving at the door to his tent, I saw his boots resting on the ground outside. I slipped my sneakers off and called out, "Knock knock!" I grinned as I heard a rough mumble, "Who the hell's there?" I answered, "It is I, The girl who comes bearing the gift that is known as peach cobbler." It was quiet for just a second before I heard rustling and a grunt, "Well why didn't you say that to begin with? Getcha ass in here woman! And don't forget the fuckin' cobbler."

I let out a soft laugh as I pulled back the flap covering the entrance to Daryl's tent. As I walked in, I saw him lying down on a pile consisting of sleeping bags and blankets. "Got enough?" I said, nodding my head towards the ground. Daryl shrugged as he sat up and reached for the bowl in my hands. I slapped his hand away, "Greedy".

He sat back and pouted. Looking up at me, he bit his bottom lip, letting it slide out from between his teeth, "Please?" Puffing my cheeks out at him, I handed the bowl to him and he snatched it from my hands. Spooning the cobbler into his mouth, he motioned with the spoon to the ground, "We ain't on ceremony here. Sit 'ya ass down." I shook my head, "Nah. If I sit down, I might not be able to get back up again." Daryl snorted, "Darlin' 'ya ain't as old as that old man inside that house. Now sit 'ya ass down 'fore I pull 'ya down." I mock-saluted, "Sir, yes sir!", before trying to discreetly wrap my arm around my stomach, my hand resting on my side to keep the stitches in place. As I lowered myself down on the blankets, a small hiss escaped from between my teeth.

Daryl's head snapped up, his brow wrinkled with confusion, "What's that face for?" I shrugged, "What face? This is my everyday face." He took his spoon and pointed it at me, "Don't fuck with me, Ava! I've known you too long to know when somethin's up wit' 'ya." I let out a quick laugh, my eyes rolling to look up at the ceiling, "Nothing's wrong with me Daryl. You're just makin' a mountain out of a molehill." _Shit! I can't let him know. He's just gonna flip if he finds out!_

Setting his bowl to the side, he sat up on his knees and shuffled a little towards me, "Then whys yer arm over yer stomach like 'ya sick?" _Shit!_ I felt my heartbeat speed up as I quickly dropped my arm. As the corner of his mouth rose up in a small grin, he motioned with his finger, "C'mon, lift yer shirt up." I shook my head, "No, Daryl, I'm fine really..."

"Shit! What the fuck happened Ava?!" He said as he rolled up the hem of my shirt because I had refused. I sighed and closed my eyes, my voice lowering out of defeat, "Nothing, Daryl. I told you I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

"Like hell there's nothin' t'worry 'bout!" His voice growing louder. "Who the fuck did this t'ya? 'Ya better tell me Ava or I swear I'm gon'a go into the woods and hunt down this motherfucker that did that!" Standing up, he towered over me, "Better yet, I'm gon'a find ol' gran'pa man and get him to te-"

I stood up fast, feeling a shot of pain in my side, and clamped my hand over his mouth. Ignoring the throbbing pain, I glared at Daryl, my gaze matching the one his icy blues were giving, "Shut up! You're gonna bring your whole group over with your bellyachin'!" Wrapping his hand around my wrist, he pried my hand off his mouth, "Why the fuck did you not think to tell me about this?" Looking off to the side, I mumbled, "Because it wasn't important at the time." As his hand slid into mine, his fingers resting comfortably between mine as his thumb gently traced circles into my palm, his voice held a gentle tone as he whispered, "And why would 'ya think 'ya ain't important, A?"

My gaze locked back onto his, "Because, there was a boy with a gunshot wound much worse than mine that just got out of surgery and there's a little girl whose mama probably won't ever see her again because of some fuckin' virus that's caused the dead to rise and fuckin' eat each other! And that's why, Daryl. That's why I didn't tell you because right now, those children are so much more important than I ever will be!" Prying my hand from his warm grip, I took a step back as tears threatened to fall down my cheeks as I muttered, "Bring the bowl back to the house in the morning." Stepping outside, I slipped my sneakers back on before turning around to head to the house. Walking through the door, I saw Hershel sitting in the living room. Pausing, I said, "I'll be upstairs if you still want to look at my stitches." He nodded and I made my way up to the room I was sharing with Maggie.

Flinging the door open, I found Maggie already in bed reading a book. Looking up, she smirked, "Have a steamy chat with your boyfriend?" I huffed as I shucked my jeans off, replacing them with a pair of sweatpants, "No. And he's not my boyfriend." She shrugged and went back to her book, "Shame. You two look good together." Ignoring her comment, I changed into a tank top, throwing my dirty clothes in the corner. A knock on the door interrupted our silence. Herschel popped his head in, announcing his presence.

After a few minutes, my stitches were out, replaced with a clean bandage and a doctor's advice about taking it easy the next few days. Shutting off the lights, I crawled under the covers but before I could even shut my eyes, I could hear Maggie's voice asking, "So I take it you had trouble in paradise?" I scoffed, "What paradise?"

By the rustling of the sheets and the moving of the bed, I could tell Maggie was turning over on her side, "What's wrong, Ava? You've hardly said a word since you came back. Wanna share?" I rolled over to face her in the dark, "Daryl's mad at me 'cause I didn't tell him about my wound." In a whisper, I continued to tell her everything that happened not just an hour ago. "And to top it all off, he was just holding my hand while his stupid thumb drew circles in my palm. I mean, he's only held my hand once and when that happened, he was just helping me down the stairs. He sure as hell didn't draw fuckin' circles in my palm!" Maggie was quiet for a minute, but I swear I could feel her smile even though its pitch dark in our room, "He loves you, Ava. Mark my words. He may not've said it yet, but he does." And that was apparently the end of this conversation.

- Third Person POV -  
>As she left his tent, Daryl stood at the opening, his arms crossed over his chest, watching her retreating shadow march back to the house. Sighing, he whispered, "I just wish 'ya could see how fuckin' impor'ant 'ya are to me." He watched until the screen door slammed shut behind her. Looking up towards the lit window he figured was her's, he smiled to himself, "'Ya always will be fuckin' impor'ant t'me. Always have and always will be." When the light turned off, making the window dark, the silent hunter retreated back to his tent, making a mental note to take the bowl back to the house, first thing in the morning.<p>

**HappyGoLuckyGirl: thank you so much for your comment. I wish I was a better writer than I am now. I read stories written by others, books that are published, or even fanfic that it written better than mine and I always wish I could write like that. I always have this fear that when I write, I might ramble or that what I'm wanting the reader to picture, isn't always happening. But again thank you so much for your encouragment! :)**


	15. Ghosts and Chupacabras

**Ghosts and Chupacabras**

_Blood… everywhere… on the walls, the floor, the ceiling…There's a trail of blood going up the stairs, along with hand prints on the wall. I follow the trail which leads to a room I've become so familiar with in the past few months and look up to see a bloody hand print smeared on the door, trailing down to the doorknob. I gently wrapped my hand around the knob and twisted it, slowly pushing the door open. There was a bed placed in the middle of a red room - whether that red is blood or paint, I have no clue. As I walk towards the bed, I could vaguely spot a figure lying there. My heart jumps and I feel a sob catch in my throat as I recognize who it is. I see the silver ring on her left hand, the one I had placed there the day we said our vows. Her head turned and she lifted her hand as I made my way towards her, her mouth slightly opened in a silent gasp, "Why did you never show me how important I was? Why did you leave me? Why did you never say I love you when I told you all the time?"_

_I felt tears running down my face as incoherent words tumbled out of my mouth, "I'm sorry. I always have loved you. You're so important to me." All of a sudden her pale green eyes turned blue and her voice became deeper. When her mouth moved, it wasn't her voice that came out, "Don't 'ya know that nobody can love a Dixon? Dixons ain't capable of love, little brother. I don't know why 'ya wastin' yer time on this bitch and bein' such a pussy." I backed away and turned to run out of the door, her voice going back to normal, calling out, "Why are you running away from me? Come back Daryl!"_

- Daryl's POV -  
>"Ava!" I gasped as I shot up from my makeshift bed. Looking to the side of my tent, I could make out the bowl that Ava had brought me last night, outlined in the rising sun. Running a hand over my face and through my hair, I let out a sigh as grabbed the bowl before standing up and exiting my tent. Slipping my feet into my boots, I turned around and almost ran over Carol, causing her to drop some of the clothes that she was carrying. "I'm so sorry, Daryl. I just came to get your dirty clothes, seeing as how it's laundry day." I bent down and picked up the stray clothes, handing them to her, "Mmk. I would hand 'em to 'ya but I gotta do somethin' first." She nodded, blurting out that Rick had called a meeting to grid out the area to search for Sophia. I looked towards the RV and spotted a small group of people gathered around the truck. Mumbling a 'thanks' to Carol, I headed over there, determined to return the bowl as soon as I could.<p>

* * *

><p>After we had decided who was going where to search the grid - I decided to take one of the horses and search along the ridge; that way I had a better view - I went to the house to return my dishes. As I entered the kitchen, I found the girl named Maggie standing at the sink, gazing out the window as she washed a pot, her rag running circles around the bottom. I cleared my throat, causing her to jump a little as turned towards me. Lifting my bowl and placing it on the counter, I mumbled, "Bringin' this back before I head out." She nodded and turned back around to the sink, rinsing the pot out, "Ava's in the stables, just in case you were wondering."<p>

I brought my thumb up to my mouth, biting on the edge as I turned and walked out. _Ava_, I haven't talked to her since last night. Is she mad at me? All because I asked her what happened? Why didn't she tell me to begin with? I would've made her stay in bed instead of letting her come with me to look for Sophia. All this and more ran through my head as I made my way to the stables. As I approached the stables, I saw that the door was open and heard a voice that could only belong to the girl who occupied my dream float out of the door, singing to one of her favorite songs,

_Maybe I know, somewhere deep in my soul,  
>That love never lasts.<br>And we've got to find other ways to make it alone  
>Or keep a straight face.<br>And I've always lived like this,  
>Keeping a comfortable, distance.<br>And up until now I had sworn to myself,  
>That I'm content with loneliness.<br>Because none of it was ever worth the risk.  
>You are the only exception.<br>And I'm on my way to believin'._

As her voice drifted off to a soft hum, I took a step into the stable and cleared my throat, not wanting to alarm her. She turned, a soft gasp escaping her lips, "How long have you been standing there?" I shrugged, "Not long. I just came down from the house. Took my bowl back, like 'ya asked." I didn't want her to know that I had heard her singing. She's not a big fan of having an audience. I walked forward as she continued to arrange the tack wall, "I gotta get a horse. Gonna look up along the ridge to see if I can find Sophia from up there." She nodded, not saying anymore to me. I sighed and walked towards one of the stalls, holding my hand out for the horse to smell it. Hearing a thud behind me, I turned around to see a saddle and tack lying on the ground. Looking up, I watch as she walked out of the stable, her voice calling out. "You're gonna need a saddle if you're gonna ride. Oh, and let me know if you see your chupacabra." Bending over to pick up the saddle, I shook my head, laughing softly. She may be mad, but at least she's looking out for me.

- Ava's POV -  
>"Whoa, Mags! Watch where 'ya going." I bumped into Maggie as she came down the porch steps, her mind obviously somewhere else. She mumbled a 'sorry' and continued on her way. I looked up at the man standing on the porch, leaning against the side of the house and holding a guitar. Walking up the steps, I gave him a small smile, "Glenn, right?" He nodded, his gaze drifting over to wherever Maggie had gone. Smirking, I nodded towards the guitar, "You play?" He didn't answer, so I reached out and flicked the end of his nose, "Hey loverboy!" He jumped and focused his gaze onto me, "Huh?" I laughed and pointed to the guitar, "Do. You. Play?" He shook his head, "Nah, Dale found it on the side of the road when we were piled up in the traffic jam. Do you?" I shrugged my shoulders, "Dale, the old guy with the hat?" Glenn nodded and I answered his previous question, "A little. Do 'ya mind?"<p>

He shook his head and held the guitar out to me and I took it by the neck, sitting on the porch railing. Plucking a few strings, I tuned it a bit before I strummed a few chords of 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' theme song. After I finished, I looked up to see Glenn with a small smile on his face, "Where'd you learn to play?" I smiled back, plucking at the strings, "My dad taught me a few things. I can play mostly by ear but I can also read music. I used to watch a lot of YouTube in college instead of studying." He laughed a little as he asked, "Do you think you could teach me?" I smirked and answered, "So you can serenade Magsters over there?" He mumbled a bit, scuffing the toe of his shoes against the porch. I let out a soft giggle, "Don't worry, loverboy. Judging by the way she was walking today, I think you're doing just fine." When I said that, he jerked his head up, a blush creeping over his cheeks and ears, "You can't tell Hershel or anyone for that matter. I don't want to ruin our chances of having a good place to stay."

Sliding off the railing, I handed the guitar back and put a finger under his chin, drawing his gaze back to mine. "Don't worry Short Round," I said as I crossed my heart, "You're secret's safe with me." He smiled, "Good. I'm glad." Winking, I stepped back and put my hand on the door, "To put an answer your question, yeah, I'll teach 'ya sometime. Just, keep the guitar in the RV for the time being." Pulling the door open, I stepped inside, only to be greeted by the sound of women's voices chattering in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, I found myself in the garden with Carol, picking some vegetables for the dinner that we would be preparing for everyone later on. As I knelt down in the dirt pulling up carrots, Carol started to make conversation with me to learn more about myself, as well as I about her too. I told her all about my family, how my father was a deacon at our church and my mother, the nursery leader. I also went to tell her about how I had found out about the virus and about finding my parents dead in the living room of their house. I left out the part about my sister because I didn't want to have to tell her the gruesome details about her death, seeing as how she was probably about the same age as Sophia.<p>

As we were talking, I heard some commotion going on in the camp. I placed the carrots I had picked in a bucket that we were carrying, before standing up. Brushing my hands on my thighs, I told Carol, "I'm gonna go check things out, see if everything's okay." She nodded and went back to picking green beans. As I approached the RV, I saw Shane, Glenn, and another man start running off towards the field with Rick trailing behind them, calling out, "Hershel is the one that wanted to deal with the walkers. It's his land, we should abide by his rules."

I walked up to the RV and asked the man holding onto the ladder - Dale, I think? He was wearing the hat, "What's goin' on?" He motioned up to the roof, "Andrea spotted a lone walker. Hothead Shane has decided that he wants to take him on and completely ignore Hershel's rules." I looked around to see a pair of binoculars sitting on the hood of a nearby car. I grabbed them and climbed on top, hearing Dale say, "Andrea, don't." I looked over to see her lying on her stomach, taking aim at the walker in the field. "Back off Dale." Andrea replied. I stood up and raised the binoculars to my eyes. Looking through, I could see the four men gathered around a lone, limping figure. As one of the men shifted to the side, I saw the figure more clearly. Shaking my head, I announced to Andrea, "I don't think that's a walker. I think that's-"

Before I could finish my sentence, a shot rang out and the figure dropped to the ground.


	16. The Trials We Overcome

**The Trials We Overcome**

"NO! NO!" I jumped off the roof of the RV, shouting at Andrea as I took off running towards Daryl, "You bitch! Why'd 'ya fuckin' shoot 'im? Get off 'ya fuckin' high horse!" I ran until my legs burned but I didn't stop, I had to see if he was alright. I swear to God, if that blonde bitch fuckin' killed him, she better watch her back next time she's 'on guard'. I witnessed Rick and Shane hoist Daryl up, carrying him between the two of them. "Rick! Is he okay? He's not dead is he?" I asked as I neared the group. Looking over Daryl, I saw dried blood staining his mouth, torso and what looked to be just about his whole body, a string of ears hanging from around his neck, along with his over shirt tied and knotted around his waist. "Rick, I swear to God, answer me. Is he dead?" I matched my pace with theirs as Rick answered back, "He's unconscious. Andrea only grazed him."

I looked over at her, "You best be glad he's just unconscious." Glenn seemed more freaked out about the ear necklace than anything "Look at him. What the hell happened? Look, he's wearing ears!" I reached over and jerked the necklace off, looking at them before stuffing them in Shane's pocket, "Keep it in your pants, eh sunshine?" The man behind us, the man whose name I never found out, held up a ragged doll as he rested a baseball ball on his shoulder, "Guys, isn't this Sophia's?" They all turned around to look, seeing the doll, my heart broke. _She's out there. She's gotta be._ I turned back towards the house and took off running, yelling at Beth and Patricia to help me get everything ready.

I ran as fast as I could to the house and up to Maggie and I's room. Taking the comforter, I pulled it off the bed and threw it in the corner. Beth came into the room with her father's medical bag. Sorting through it, I found the smelling salts and stitching supplies. As Patricia came into the room, I heard the downstairs door slam open and someone yell, "Ava! Which room?!" I called out, "Upstairs, second on the left!" After hearing a bunch of grunting and groaning, the men finally made it up the stairs. I pointed to the bed as I washed my hands and had Patricia sterilize the needle. Hershel came in, rolling his sleeves up, after they laid Daryl on the bed. I looked up at Hershel, "I got this. I just need you to prep him." He nodded and began to cut Daryl's shirt off.

I stepped forward and ran the smelling salts under his nose to wake him up. Waking up with a gasp, his eyes shot open and locked onto me, his hand grabbing my wrist, "Ava! I found Sophia's doll then Officer Friendly shot me." Rick cleared his throat, "It wasn't me. It was actually Andrea who shot you." Daryl's eyes grew wide as he tried to sit up, "What? That blonde bitch tried to shoot me?! Ow, fuck!" Placing my hands on his shoulders, I pressed him back down on the bed, turning him on his side a bit, "Daryl, stop. I've gotta fix 'ya up." I went around to the other side of the bed and took the needle and string Patricia held out to me. Hershel handed Daryl a clean towel, "Here. You're going to want to hold that on your head to stop the bleeding. I had no idea we'd be going through antibiotics so quickly. It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

I stepped forward as Hershel and Patricia left the room and used the wet towel to gently wipe away some of the dirt and grime from his wound as best as I could. As I started to stitch up the wound on his side, I asked, "What happened Daryl? Why 'ya all covered in blood and dirt?" He looked up at me with his hand holding the towel onto his head, "Well, I was going along the ridge when something spooked the horse and the damn thing threw me off the edge into a ravine where I landed on one of my arrows." I looked up with a smirk as Rick walked out of the room, "Was this particular horse brown with a white back left leg?" Daryl nodded and said, "Yeah, why? 'Cause if that's the horse then it's smart, and left the country." I snorted and went back to my sewing as Rick came back with a map, "Well, if you had asked me earlier, I would've told 'ya not to take her. Her name's Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly. She likes to throw people."

Rick spread the map on the bed next to Daryl, asking him if he could show where exactly the doll was found. After I finished the wound on his back, I started on the one on his side. "I found it washed up on the creek bed, right there. Must've dropped it as she was crossing somewhere there." Daryl pointed to a spot on the map, "Good Lord, woman. Can't 'ya be more gentle?" I laughed as his side twitched whenever my fingers grazed his skin, "Daryl Dixon, if you keep movin', I'm gonna have to sit on 'ya." He huffed as he turned his attention back to Rick. "How's he doin' Ava?" Rick asked as he rolled the map up. I shrugged my shoulders, focusing on trying to make the stitches neat, "He'll be okay, _if_ he stops squirming." I smacked at Daryl's hip, "Dammit Dixon! I swear, I've pinned 'ya down before, I can do it again!" Daryl growled at me as Shane and Rick left the room, "Fuck, Ava! If 'ya hands weren't so soft, I just might be okay."

I stuck my tongue out at him as he squirmed one last time, "Alright that's it Dixon!" Keeping my hands on his wound, I crawled up on the bed and swung my leg over his hip, holding him down before resuming my stitching.

- Daryl's POV -  
>I just looked at her as she sat there, like it was the most normal thing in the world. She was focused on her sewing, her bottom lip captured between her teeth and her eyebrows scrunched up. It felt right; her sitting there with her hands working at my side. There was this feeling that I just couldn't shake, along with some images that wouldn't leave my mind. <em>Her body straddling me, warm hands splayed over my naked torso, the feel of her skin under my hands, sounds coming from her mouth that only <em>_**I**__ can make her produce._ I shook my head to rid myself of the images and the problem that might arise.

When she finished, she tied a knot in the string and reached over to the nightstand and grabbed some scissors, leaning back to cut the string. Placing the scissors on the bed, she lifted her hand and placed it on top of mine, pulling it back to look at the gunshot graze on my head. "How's it lookin' doc?" I asked. She clicked her tongue against her top teeth, "Well, I can't just leave it. I'm gonna have to clean it and put a bandage over it. Can you sit up?" I scoffed, "Not with your heavy ass is sittin' on me." "Oh", was all she said before she climbed off me and stood at the side of the bed. Placing my hand over my side, I leaned up with a soft groan and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Ava came and moved to stand between my legs, her warm hands on my cheeks as she tilted my head to the side, "Keep your head like this. I've got to get stuff out of Hershel's bag." She went and sorted through the black bag sitting on the vanity table, grabbing what she needed. She turned back to me as she worked on my head wound. I kept my eyes closed but not before my mind drifted once again to the thought of what else she could possibly do with those magic hands of hers.

I opened my eyes slightly as I thought of something. We both have the same injuries now. I lifted my right hand and placed it on her hip, moving it up slightly, bringing her shirt up along with it. As my hand touched her warm, smooth skin, I could feel her muscles tighten as she stopped working on my head. I gently ran my thumb over the place where she was shot, her breath coming out shakily. I looked up to see her eyes closed, and then shoot open as I said, "Looks like we're the same now. You, me, and Grimes. Jr are like the unholy trinity now." She dropped her hand from my head and wrapped it around my wrist, breathing out, "Stop, Daryl." Gritting my teeth together, I grumbled, "No, you stop. What I'm going to next is hard for me to say, always has been." I took a deep breath, clearing my throat before looking back up at her, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I said last night to make you mad at me but I'm sorry. There, I said it. Can you stop being mad at me now?"

She sighed, "It's not what you said, Daryl. It's how you said it. You didn't have to start yelling as soon as you found out. And, I know that's the Dixon temper comin' out but sometimes, you just need to rein it in a bit." I nodded, eager to have her not be mad anymore, "So, I've told you how I hurt myself. When will you tell me how _that_ happened?" She backed up a bit causing my hand to drop, "Not now. Not until you've worked on that temper and not until I can tell someone. There's only two people who know what's actually happened and they aren't spilling any secrets anytime soon." She washed her hands in the bowl on the table, "Now, I'll see you after dinner. I'll bring you some food and I'll bandage your side up. But, for now, just lie down and rest. You've done a lot and I'm sure you're tired." I nodded and saluted, "Sir, yes sir." She gave me a small smile before taking Hershel's bag and leaving the room.

* * *

><p><em>knock-knock-knock<em>

Hearing that small knock, I looked over my shoulder as the door slowly opened to reveal Carol, carrying a plate of food. "Brought you somethin' to eat," She said as I pulled the thin sheet around me, "How're you feeling?" I mumbled, "About as good as I look." She was quiet for a bit before she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. My only response, "Watch out. I got stitches." Before she walked out the door, she turned back to me, "You need to know something." That obviously caught my attention as I turned over more to focus on her better. "You did more for my little girl today than her daddy ever did in his whole life." Bringing my arm under my head, I tucked the sheet around me better, "I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't 'ave done."

"I know," She said back, "You're every bit as good as them, every bit." Then she left without another word. I turned back to face the wall, thinking over what she had said. It's true, Rick and possibly Shane would've done the same thing I did. I don't deserve no special praise or nothin'. 'Specially no kiss on the head from Carol. Well, maybe a kiss from _her_. "She's right you know. You're putting more effort into this than Rick or Shane." Ava's voice drifted over me as I turned back over to face her. She walked forward as she continued, "Why is that?" I shrugged, "Like 'ya said last night. They're the important ones now. Plus, I don't want her to end up like Serena did." A sad look washed over her face as she looked down and nodded, "Yeah. I don't want that to happen to anyone, let alone a child." Looking back up at me, she asked, "'Ya don't mind if I sleep here tonight, do 'ya?"

If we were in a cartoon, I swear my heart would be pounding out of my chest and everyone could see it. _Of course, I would love for her to sleep with me. To be able to hold her in my arms._ I shrugged, "Don't matter to me." She smirked as she toed her shoes off, "Good. Plus, this is mine and Maggie's bed anyway. So, even if you said no, you'd still hav'ta deal with me." Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled the sheet back and slipped under them. I didn't want to make a move to cuddle up next to her so I just kept my back to her as she kept hers to mine. "Holy shit!" I jerked as I felt her cold feet press up against my calves. "You're feet are fuckin' freezin'!" The only thing I heard out of her was a small laugh as she tangled her feet with mine.

**DeadlyKitten: hmm what kind of confession? :) also, I'm glad you're liking this story!**

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	17. Some Things Are Not Best Kept Secret

**Some Things Are Not Best Kept Secret**

Waking up the next morning, I found myself curled up against a solid wall of muscle and heat. Opening my eyes, my gaze trailed down to the top of Daryl's head, over his shoulders, across his side, and down to his hip which is covered by the thin white sheet. Looking back up my, eyes suddenly fell on his stitched side, reminding me that I had forgotten to wrap his side up the night before. As Daryl shifted a bit in his sleep, my eyes caught sight of a set of roped scars covering his back. After waiting a minute to make sure he was still asleep, I raised my hands and lightly ran my fingers over them. Hearing a soft moan caused me to jerk my fingers back. Staring at his back with wide eyes, I waited once more before I gained my confidence back and lifted my fingers again, touching his scars again. _How could this happen? When did this happen?_ As I continued to ghost my fingers over his back, I could see small goosebumps rise up on his skin.

All of a sudden my heart froze as I heard one word escape from his mouth in the softest of groans, "Ava." Blinking, I cleared my throat to answer but before I could, Daryl's body twitched a little as he whispered something, "No, Ava. Ava, please, don't do this." Propping myself up on my elbow, I placed my hand on his upper arm, "Daryl... wake up." But that didn't work; all that did was 'cause him to jerk even more, to the point where he curled into himself, still muttering. There came a point where I sat up, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hip, and I gently started to shake him to try to wake him up, "Daryl? Daryl, wake u-"

Somehow - I have no clue - I found myself on my back with Daryl, panting above me, his eyes flashing with fear and anger. His hands gripped my wrists as I whimpered, "Daryl, it's me, Ava. You're okay." Slowly, realization cleared the fear and anger from his eyes, "Ava?" I nodded, swallowing around the lump in my throat. Releasing my wrists, he sat himself up and moved to the edge of the bed, his feet resting on the floor and his head in his hands. It was quiet for a moment before I sat up and gently laid a hand on his shoulder, "Daryl? Are you okay?" As soon as my hand made contact with his skin, he jerked away like I had burned him. "Don't touch me!" He hissed between gritted teeth. _I don't care if he's being stubborn, I want to know what happened._ I tried again, this time placing a hand on his back, "Just tell me what happened, Daryl. What's wrong?"

"You! You're what's wrong!" He yelled as he suddenly stood up. Grabbing his boots, he slid them onto his feet, "I told 'ya not to fuckin' touch me and what'd'ya do? 'Ya just fuckin' ignore me!" As he looked around for his shirt, I saw that his side was slightly bleeding. Scooting forward, I reached a hand out, "Daryl, you're bleeding." Before I could reach any farther, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me up so I was level with him, "I said. Don't. Fuckin'. Touch. Me." He then let go of my wrist and with a sharp push, I landed back on the bed. Folding my hands in my lap, I cocked my head to the side, "But you're stitches..." Shaking his head, he abandoned his search for his shirt and walked out of the room, "I'll fix it my own damn self. Don't need no damn help from you."

It wasn't long before I heard the front door slam behind him. Sliding off the bed, I rub my hand along my wrist, wincing a little as I grabbed some clean clothes and changed into them. _Well, if he wants to be an asshole who's going to stop him?_ Making my way downstairs, I grabbed a muffin and an apple from the kitchen, looking around to find Beth and Patricia sitting in the living room with Hershel. "Please, if it's okay with you," Patricia asked Hershel, "I would like to get in some gun trainin'. Otis was the only one who knew how to handle them. I would feel at least a little bit better knowin' how to shoot one." Beth nodded and placed her hand over her father's, "Please Daddy. I-I want to know how to be safe. I want to be able to protect myself if anything should happen." Leaning against the wall, I picked at the muffin, speaking up, "They're right. It's nasty business out there. It'd be a good skill to have if worse comes to worst." Looking up, I shrugged my shoulders, "Rick said he was a sheriff. They'll be in good hands and they'll learn properly." Sighing, Hershel patted Beth's hand and nodded, "Okay. But that doesn't mean that you all will be carrying guns just because you've had a little training. The guns will stay in this house, in their proper place." Patricia and Beth both smiled and headed out the door to Rick's camp.

As they left, Hershel turned towards me "Do you not want to join them?" I shook my head, "Nah, I've already learned what I needed from the Dixon brothers about survival." Straightening up, I swallowed the bite of muffin in my mouth, "Speaking of survival, I was kind of thinking of going on a little hunt to see if I could possibly find a deer or something to bring back. Maybe have it for dinner tonight?" Hershel nodded again as he stood up, "Alright, just be careful. I don't want to have to find you walking up on the farm looking like Daryl did yesterday." I smiled, "Yes sir." Finishing off the muffin I stepped out onto the porch, looking for my bow and quiver of arrows. "Shit", I mumbled, looking towards Daryl's tent. I realized that I must've left them in there when we came back from that house where we looked for Sophia. Oh well, he's just gonna have to suck it up if he doesn't want to see me.

After a few minutes, I made it to the camp only to see Andrea coming out of Daryl's tent. As she looked up and saw me, she stopped, "I'm so sorry. I thought he was a walker. I don't mean to shoot him." I huffed and blew her off, "Yeah, whatever. But hey, Blondie," She turned around from she was walking away, "Next time you shoot him, you better pray that he's dead. 'Cause you certainly won't be livin'." She dropped her head and smiled, "Funny, because he said the same thing." I scowled at her before lifting the flap of Daryl's tent and walking in. Looking over to the side, I saw him lying on his back with a book in his hands. I scoffed and rolled my eyes before grabbing my bow, quiver, and hunting knife. Slipping the knife in the top of my right boot, I shouldered my quiver and grabbed my bow before lifting the tent flap once more.

Before I could set foot out of the door, I heard his gruff voice speak up, "Where 'ya headin'?" Shrugging, I answered, "None of 'ya fuckin' business, Dixon." I didn't even take two steps out before he grabbed my wrist, the same wrist he had grabbed earlier that morning. Letting a hiss escape from between my teeth, I jerked my wrist out of his hand, cradling it to my chest. If Daryl saw that he had hurt me, he didn't show it. He simply said, "'Ya can't just go runnin' off by yerself, Ava. Now, tell me where 'ya going and I'll go with 'ya." I shook my head at him, "Why 'ya wanna know? 'Ya can't do anythin'. You'll only slow me down." He stepped closer, "Don't be such a child, Ava. Now for the last time, where the hell 'ya goin'?" Closing the distance between us, I looked him right in the eye, "And for the last time, _Daryl,_ I said none of your fuckin' business. And to quote a certain asshole from this morning, 'I'll do it my own damn self. Don't need no damn help from you'."

Turning around on the balls of my feet, I strode away from him towards the woods.

* * *

><p>Ten squirrels and five rabbits later, I decided to call it a day. As I walked past the barn, I saw Glenn standing a few feet away, just staring at it. Quietly making my way to stand next to him, I bumped him with my shoulder, "Whatcha looking at, Shortround? It's just an old barn. Nothin' to it." Shrugging, he shook his head, "It's not the outside I'm worried about. It's what's inside." I let out a short laugh, "Inside? All that's inside is probably a few old dusty hay bales. I wouldn't be too worried." Stepping back, I smiled real big as a thought flitted across my mind, "You thinkin' of takin' Maggie in there? Wanna have a good ol' romp in the hay?"<p>

He crossed his arms and scuffed the toe of his shoe in the dirt, "Tried to last night but got a surprise instead." I laughed, "Did one of the boards break on 'ya? Hershel told me that it wasn't really safe in there, so he's warned me to stay away." Turning to me, he asked, "So, you've never tried to go in there? To see what's actually in the barn?" I shook my head, "No. Never really had a reason to. Why?" He shook his head again, "No reason. Just trying to be safe, is all." Scoffing at him, I patted his shoulder, "Yeah, okay." As I adjusted my quiver and the string of dead animals, I turned around to head up to the house. After a couple of steps, I looked over my shoulder at Glenn, "You never told what surprised you in the barn last night." Still staring at the barn, he called out, "Oh, uh, there was a big rat in the hayloft. Scared us both shitless."

Shaking my head, I laughed and continued my way to the house.

**_  
><strong>**Thanks again to everyone who has commented and followed this story. I never thought I would be getting the reviews like have been on this site! I love you all! xxxxx :)**


	18. Dangers in Our Backyard

**Dangers In Our Backyard**

The rest of the night, Daryl spoke not one word to me. Even when he saw me coming past the campsite with all of my kills, he didn't even offer to help me. He just stood outside of his tent, arms crossed with the side of his thumb between his lips, his teeth biting at the skin. I rolled my eyes at him as I passed the camp and up to the shed. Slipping my knife out of my boot, I started the process of skinning and gutting the animals. After I finished, I dug a hole deep enough for the skins and guts of the animals. And so, the last few hours of the night passed without any confrontations between Daryl and I.

* * *

><p>Waking up the next morning, I changed clothes and went downstairs for breakfast. As we all sat around the table, Hershel broke the silence by giving out the chore list for the day. My chores for the day included gathering the eggs from the chicken coop and brushing down the horses. After I finished my breakfast, I put my dishes in the sink and grabbed the egg basket that was sitting next to the front door. Walking out into the porch, I saw Maggie standing at one corner looking towards the camp and slightly shaking her head. Coming up behind her, I gently laid my hand on her shoulder, "What's up, Mags?" Jumping a little, she turned around as she brought a hand up to her chest, "Ava! You scared me! And what do you mean what's up? Nothing's up." I cock my eyebrows and put my hand on my hip, "Mhm. Nothing's up huh? Then why're you over here shaking your head at your boyfriend?"<p>

She quickly glanced over at the camp before turning back to me, "Glenn? He's not my boyfriend." A smile grew on my face before I could stop it, "I never said Glenn, now, did I?" Her eyes grew wide at her mistake, "Ava, please, don't tell anyone." I laughed softly, "I don't think I have to tell anyone. But you tell me, what's up? What's going on that you're so obviously worried about?" She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself, "It's just that Glenn found out something last night and I'm afraid he's gonna blab it to everyone he knows." Reaching forward, I placed my hand on her elbow, "Okay, so what is it? You know you can tell me." She shook her head as she stepped away from me. Walking into the house, she mumbled, "Nothing, it's nothing." Biting my lower lip, I quickly raised and lowered my eyebrows as I turned and headed towards the chicken coop.

* * *

><p>Not long after gathering eggs, I saw that Rick's group had gathered in front of the barn. As usual, my curiosity got the best of me. Locking the coop and setting the basket beside the door, I made my way over to the barn. Halfway there, I started hearing their voices being raised as Shane started yelling at Daryl, "Let me tell you something else man! If that little girl saw you comin' with your buck knife and geek ears 'round your neck, she'd run in the other direction!" I broke out into a run as I saw Daryl leap at Shane only to be held back by Rick as everyone started yelling at each other.<p>

Jumping between the two, I put my hands on Daryl's chest and pushed him away from the group, gritting my teeth as I hissed at him, "Back away, Daryl. Don't start nothin' you aren't ready to finish." He jerked away from me, saying, "Getcha hands off me. I didn't ask for ya ta step in." Turning, he stormed off towards his tent. I stopped in my tracks, shaking my head at him. Kicking a rock, I mumbled to myself as I made my way back to the chicken coop, "And no one asked for your fuckin' attitude." Picking the basket up from where I left it, I brought the eggs to the house before making my way to the stables to finish my chores.

* * *

><p>As I was brushing down one of the horses, I heard a rustling in the tack room. Slipping my knife out of my boot, I pressed myself against the wall of the horse's stall. Slowing my breath down, I listened to see which way the noise was going to go. Even though I haven't seen hide nor hair of a walker come onto the farm, it doesn't mean that they aren't still out there. Hearing a shuffling, I leaded around the corner of the stall to see Daryl carrying a saddle down to the end of the stable. Slipping my knife back, I stepped out of the stall and crossed my arms, "Um, what the hell do you think you're doin'?" He grabbed a bit and reins from the wall as he shrugged, hunting some form of answer. Leaning against the wall, I watched him, "If you think you're taking another horse out after what happened the other day, think again Dixon." He placed his hands on the saddle, his finger picking at the leather, "I'm fine. 'Ya don't need ta baby me."<p>

Picking up the bit and reins, he walked over to a stall and started to strap it on the horse. I moved so I could keep him in my sights, "I'm not trying to baby you. I'm just sayin' if you go back out there you're just gonna hurt yourself even worse." He sighed, mumbling, "Well I ain't gonna sit around and do nothin' while Rick tries ta figure stuff out with Hershel about the barn." Turning my head to the side, I brought my thumb up to my mouth and nibbled at the side, "The barn? Why is everyone so curious about the barn all of a sudden? It's just an old building that's about to fall down. I don't know why Hershel hasn't already just tore it down." Looking back at me, he scrunched his eyes together in confusion, "'Ya really don't know what's in the barn?"

I shook my head in answer. Daryl ran his hand over his face, letting out a long sigh before telling me the second worst news I've ever heard in my life, "The fuckin' barn's full of fuckin' walkers." I let out a short laugh, "No it's not. Why would the barn be full of walkers?" Turning around, I called over my shoulder as I went back to the stall I was at before, "Pretty sure I would've noticed a barn full of walkers." Picking up the horse's hoof, I started to pick out the dirt and rocks before Daryl appeared in front of me, "Yer gonna be sleepin' in my tent from here on out. I don't trust the ol' man anymore. I can't protect ya if yer halfway 'cross the field." Straightening up, I put the hoof down and patted the horse's side, "No. I'm not gonna sleep in your tent just 'cause you say there's walkers in the barn. Sorry Dixon, but I'm staying in the house and you can't stop me."

Walking past him, he grabbed my arm causing me to stop where I was. Gritting his teeth, he whispered, "Yer stayin' with me Ava and that's final." Pulling my arm from his grip, I backed away and shook my head, "Not with that attitude, Dixon. Now I don't know what's crawled up your ass and died, but you sure as hell better get over this fuckin' attitude bridge yer buildin' cause I'm gettin' real tired of yer shit." Letting out a growl, he reached over and picked up the saddle, tossing it off to the side. He must've really stretched his muscles because after he threw the saddle, he stumbled as his hand grabbed his side. Standing back up, he let loose a string of curses as he walked out of the stables. Rolling my eyes, I went back to my chores, reminding myself that it's best to give a Dixon his space when his attitude is through the roof.

* * *

><p>Throughout the rest of the day, I just did random little chores around the house just so I could stay away from Daryl. Later on in the afternoon as I was upstairs folding and putting away my clothes, I heard three shots ring out, then six more until they stopped. Dropping the shirt that was in my hand, I rushed to the window and pulled back the curtains. Looking down I saw everyone gathered around the barn, Rick holding a walker by a pole and Shane marching towards the barn doors. As Shane pounded at the locks with a pick-ax, it wasn't long before the chains fell to the ground. Stepping back, he raised his gun, waiting. <em>What is he waiting on? Surely Daryl wasn't telling the truth?<em>

It was like I was in a horror movie, the way the barn door slowly opened up and the first walker came limping out. Horrified, I covered my mouth as more flowed from behind the doors. Soon, it wasn't only Shane shooting the dead but Andrea, T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl joined in with him killing over what seemed like hundreds of walkers. Running downstairs, I grabbed my bow and quiver from where I had left it the previous night. I didn't even bother with the three steps in front of the porch, I just jumped and as soon as my feet hit the ground, I was running. No, scratch that, I was flying. Keeping my eyes on the scene in front of me, it seemed like all was finished because there were no more walkers exiting from the barn. When I arrived, everyone had lowered their weapons until we heard a soft groaning coming from behind the doors. I swear, if eyes could click, you would hear every single person's click as a lone figure stepped out from behind the door.

The last walker was a small girl who looked to be about the age of Carl or Serena, my little sister that I had found and had to kill after she had turned into one of these things. Hearing a cry from my left side, I turned to see Carol running towards the barn, only to be caught by Daryl as they both sunk to the ground, Carol sobbing out the name, "Sophia", multiple times. My heart leaped up in my throat. _This was Sophia? This is Carol's daughter? She's about the same age as Serena. Dammit! Why couldn't she have been found faster?_

Hearing soft sobs all around me, I knew what I had to do. As Sophia walked closer to the group, Rick stepped forward and raised his gun. Only, I was quicker at the draw than he was. Before he could even take a breath and pull the trigger, I had already knocked an arrow, drew the string and let it fly. My aim was straight and true, just like Daryl had taught me. I spared Rick and everyone who knew that little girl from having to be the one to kill her. I didn't know the girl but no one can say that I wasn't bothered by the whole experience, because I was. I had already lost my parents, my sister, and now Carol had lost her only daughter. No mother should have to outlive her child.

As soon as the arrow struck and Sophia had fallen, everyone's head turned to look at me. Lowering my arms, I walked up to where Daryl was holding Carol. Kneeling down, I laid my bow to the side and placed my hand on her cheek I looked into her eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry that this happened." There was no response from her so Daryl pulled her up with him as he stood up and muttered to her, "Don't look. Don't look." Without warning, she pulled out of Daryl's arms and pushed him away. Carol stood there for a second before deciding to run off towards the house. I watched her until Daryl lightly touched my elbow with his pointer finger before dropping his hand, 'Yer stayin' with me. No questions asked."

I looked up and him and simply nodded.

**Walkerluv34: Hey! I'm glad you're loving the story. I like the ship name Dava! :)**


	19. Chapter 18

**So A Sheriff, A Pizzaboy, and an Archer Walk Into A Bar...**

I watched Carol run away until Daryl lightly touched my elbow with his finger before dropping his hand, "'Yer stayin' with me. No questions asked." I looked up at him and simply nodded. Daryl bit the corner of his bottom lip as he nodded towards the RV, "I'm gonna go check on her, make sure she's okay. Do 'ya need help movin' 'ya stuff?" I shook my head as I watched the Greene family enter their house, "Nah, I don't have much." Looking up at him and squinting against the sunlight, I placed as hand on his shoulder letting it run down to his bicep before gently squeezing it, "Catch ya later?" Pressing his lips together, he silently nodded before turning around to head to the RV. Sighing, I picked up my bow and made my way back to the house.

* * *

><p>I spent a few hours packing up what little I had; clothes, my extra pair of shoes, a medical book Maggie had picked up for me on one of her runs, and my pillow. I was in the process of carrying my box to Daryl's tent when Rick passed by me and said, "We're having a memorial for Sophia and the other two. I'd appreciate it if you attended." I shrugged my shoulders, "I dunno Rick. I mean I didn't know Maggie's step-mom and brother. I mean, I didn't even know Sophia." I took a step back and shook my head, "I think it's best if I just skip out on this one." Rick put his hands on his hips, "Are you sure? Carol would probably appreciate you being there." I raised my eyebrows, "Really? Seeing as how I'm the one who shot her daughter, I'm not sure I'd be the best comfort for a mourning mother. So, if it's okay with you think I'm just gonna move my stuff into Daryl's tent." He nodded and said quietly, "Well, if you change your mind we'll be under the trees in about five minutes."<p>

"Alright. Will do." I turned around and made my way to Daryl's tent. Once in Daryl's tent, it only took me like a minute to get my stuff together. All I had to do was set my box in the corner and toss my pillow onto the opposite side of the tent. Sighing, I decided that I would attend Sophia's memorial, though I would just stay back a good distance.

* * *

><p>Throughout the memorial all I could think about was how young Sophia was, how young my sister had been, and how young Carl is. I just don't understand why this has to happen to kids their age. As I sat down in the grass, my fingers pulled at some of the green blades. <em>The grass is so pretty and green, it's like the plants don't even know about the apocalypse. Why did it have to happen now? Why couldn't it have happened in maybe a few years, when Sophia and Serena could have lived just a little bit longer and enjoyed life?<em> I grabbed a fistful of grass and pulled hard as my mind screamed out at me _Why?! Why couldn't it have been me? Why couldn't we find Sophia? Why did she have to die? _All these thoughts ran through my head as I pulled at more grass.

A shadow appeared, covering the bare patch of ground where I had pulled up some grass. Looking up, I was met with blue eyes filled with worry and concern. His eyes spoke the question that he never asked. Standing up, I wiped my hands on my jeans and sniffed, crossing my arms across my chest, "I'm fine, Daryl. Nothin' to worry 'bout." He stepped forward, raising his hand and brought his thumb to my cheek, wiping away a tear that I had no idea had escaped from my eyes, "'Ya sure 'bout that, darlin'?" I nodded my head and stepped away from him "Yeah, I'm gonna go check on Beth, see if she's okay." Without another word, I turned and headed up towards the house.

* * *

><p>"Beth! Sweetie, can you hear me?" Maggie gently rubbed Beth's cheek to try to get her to wake up. Standing at the door, I switched my bag from one shoulder to the other, "Hey Maggs." She looked up, her eyebrows knit together with worry "You're not plannin' on going out are 'ya?" I nodded, "Yeah, someone else has gotta look for your dad besides Rick and Shortround." She gave a short laugh as she stood up from the bed, "Is Daryl goin'?" I shook my head, "No. He doesn't even know I'm going yet though he might find out sooner than I'd like. Just let him know, if he comes lookin' for me, that I'll be back." She nodded and looked at Beth before saying, "I'll walk with 'ya to the truck. I've gotta tell Glenn something before he leaves."<p>

We made our way downstairs as Glenn walked into the house. I looked at Maggie as my lips curled up into a small smile. Looking at Glenn, I told him that I'd wait for him at the car. Walking through the door, I saw Rick and Daryl standing against the truck. I groaned silently as I loaded my bag and bow into the back seat. "'Ya ain't goin'." I turned around to see Daryl standing behind me. I crossed my arms and stood my ground, "Yeah, I am Daryl. And you aren't going to stop me." Shifting from one foot to another, he looked at the ground before raising his head to meet my gaze, "Why 'ya gotta go? 'Ya got somehin' to prove?" I shook my head as I stepped forward, causing Daryl to take a step back, "I don't have anything to prove, Daryl. I'm just going to bring Hershel back 'cause he has more medical knowledge than I do. He can help Beth."

I put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him farther back from me, "Plus, I'm thinkin' I can probably talk some sense into him. I'll be back." Climbing into the back seat, I was about to close the door when Daryl's hand wrapped around the edge. As he pulled the door open, he just stood there for a moment. Looking around, he slid his knife from his pocket and leaned forward, placing it into my lap. He looked at me for a few silent moments, his body half in the car. I opened my mouth to ask him something but before the words could come out of my mouth, he leaned forward a bit and gently pressed his lips to mine. I gasped as my eyes closed. No sooner had his lips touched mine, they were gone. My eyes stayed closed as I heard him whisper, "Just come back, okay?" Opening my eyes, I didn't see him in front of me. Turning around in my seat, I looked out the back window to see him striding towards his tent.

Facing back towards the front of the car, I sat there as my mind just started flying, my voice silent. Hearing someone clear their throat brought me out of my fog, "Ava? If you wanna shut your door, we can go ahead and leave." I nodded and reached forward, grabbing hold of the handle and pulled my door shut.

* * *

><p>The ride to the bar was uneventful unless you count in that Glenn announced that Maggie said she loved him. I, for one, was happy for the both of them. But Glenn was questioning the whole thing. He said that Maggie didn't really mean it, that she was just looking for love and he didn't say it back. I spoke up, telling Glenn that Maggie knows what she's doing and who she loves and who she doesn't. Soon we arrived at the bar and got out of the car, hoping to only find Hershel and no unexpected walkers. I shouldered my bow and kept Daryl's knife in my hand, ready to use it if need be. Approaching the door, Glenn and I stood by the side as Rick opened it.<p>

We walked in, weapons at the ready, only to find Hershel sitting at the bar, raising a glass to his lips. "Hershel?" asked Rick. Hershel lowered his glass and answered back, "Who's with you?" Rick looked back at us and took a step forward "Glenn and Ava." Raising his glass to his lips, Hershel asked before he took another drink, "Did Maggie send you two?" I cleared my throat and stepped forward with Rick, "No sir. We both came on our own. I came to try to help talk you into coming back and Glen came 'cause he's a good guy."

Making my way to the bar with Rick, I stood on one side of Hershel while Rick stood on the other. Looking around, I noticed a bottle sitting on the counter in front of Hershel. Scooting the chair back, I took my bow from my shoulder as I sat down and asked, "How many have you had?" Hershel shook his head and looked at the bottom of his glass, "Not enough." Rick, Glenn, and I looked at each other before I placed my hand on Hershel's elbow, "C'mon. Let's finish this at home. Beth needs you, Hershel. She collapsed earlier and now she's in some kind of shock. I think you must be too." Hershel looked at me, his eyes heavy, "Is Maggie with her?" I nodded, "Yes sir, she is. But she needs you more than you need this drink at the moment." He looked back at his glass, a little bit of the amber liquid covering the bottom, "She needs her mother is what she needs. She needs to mourn and I robbed her of that." He lifted the glass to his lips to drain the last drop from his glass.

Rick looked over at me and back at Hershel, "You thought there was a cure, just like we did. You can't blame yourself for holding out for hope." Hershel placed his glass on the counter, a small smile spreading across his face, "Hope? When I first saw you running across the field, holding your boy, I had little hope he would survive. But he did, even though we lost Otis. Your man Shane came back with what we needed and we saved your boy." He tapped his finger on the counter as though he was making a point, "**_That _**was the miracle that proved to me that miracles **_do_** exist." He was quiet for a moment before looking up at Rick, "I was fool and you people saw that." Reaching forward, he grabbed the bottle and uncorked it, saying as he poured the liquid into his glass, "My daughters deserve better than that."

Rick shook his head and walked to the door where Glenn was standing. I moved out of my seat to sit on the counter with my legs crossed and my bow lying on my lap. I took one of my arrows out and placed it beside me, along with Daryl's knife. "Just go!" I heard Hershel shout. Rick sighed, "I promised Maggie that I'd bring you home safe." Hershel scoffed, "Just like you promised that little girl?" Rick stepped forward, his forehead creased, "So what's your plan? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls all alone?" Hershel slammed his glass on the bar with enough force I'm surprised the glass didn't break. Turning around, he met Rick in the middle of the room, "Stop telling me how to care for my family, for my farm. I do the Christian thing and give your group shelter and safety. And what do you do? You destroy it all!" I slid off the counter as Hershel continued, "You people are like a plague!"

Rick pointed off to the side, "The world was already in bad shape when we met." Hershel still kept going, "And you take **_no_** responsibility! You're supposed to be their leader Rick!" I reach for one of my arrows and knock it into place as Rick yelled back, "Well I'm here now, aren't I?!" They were quiet for a minute before Hershel stepped back and sat down in his seat once more, "Yes. Yes, you are." I could see the frustration showing on Rick's face as he went back to Hershel, reaching for his elbow, "Come on. Your girls need you now more than ever."

Hershel jerked his elbow from Rick's hold, "I didn't want to believe when you said that there was no cure, that these people were dead and not sick, I chose not to believe. But, when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd been." I could hear the tears build up behind his voice as he poured his heart out, "I knew that Annette had been dead a long time ago and that I was feeding a rotten corpse. That's when I knew there was no hope. When I saw that little girl come out of the barn and I saw the look on your face, I knew that you knew it too, right?" He paused for a moment, catching his breath, "There is **_no_** hope. There is no hope for any of us." Silently he turned back to the bar and picked his glass up yet again.

Rick ran his hand over his face before sighing, "Look, I'm done doing this with you. Death is death. Whether it's from a heart attack, cancer, or a walker bite. What the hell's the difference? Right now, there's people waiting for us, trying to hang on, they need us. Even if we don't believe in hope ourselves." Rick stepped back then forward again so he was standing next to Hershel. Putting a hand on his chest he continued, "This isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about them and keeping them alive." I stood there, my gaze shifting between Rick and Hershel. I smiled as I watched Hershel down the last gulp of his drink and turn the glass over onto the counter. Rick patted him on the back as Hershel stood up.

As we all got ready to leave, we were interrupted by the door creaking open. Tilting my head at Rick, we all turned around to see two men standing at the door. One of the men looked like he hadn't missed a meal since the beginning of all this shit and the other looked like he was doing alright. We stood there in shock as the skinny one said, "Son of a bitch. They're alive."


	20. Chapter 19

**What's the End of the World Without Making New Enemies?**

The skinny one had sat down as Rick poured him a drink, "I'm Dave. That skinny douchebag over there," he pointed to the man that could possibly miss a few meals and live, "is Tony." The fat man laughed, "Eat me Dave." Dave shrugged and picked up his glass, "Maybe someday I will." Glenn had pulled me behind the counter to stand with him as Dave continued his story. "We met on I-95 comin' out of Philly. Hell of a shit-show that was." Glenn smiled a little and introduced himself, "I'm Glenn. It's nice to meet new people." When he said that, I moved my foot and stepped on his toes causing him to let out a soft groan. He looked up at me and I gave him a look that said _Don't be nice. We don't know who they are._

Rick passed a glass over to Tony as he gave the men his name. Dave looked over at Hershel and asked him if he was going to have a drink as well only to have him say that he just quit. Dave chuckled, "You've got a unique sense of timing, my friend." Then his gaze traveled over to me. If I felt comfortable when these two guys walked in, I could definitely say I wasn't comfortable now. The way his gaze traveled down my body instantly made goosebumps rise on my arms. He smirked as his eyes lingered a bit too long on my chest before moving up to my eyes, "What about you sweetheart? You ain't gonna have a drink?"

I uneasily shifted on my feet, picking at a spot on the counter with Daryl's knife before looking back at him "Nah, I've seen what alcohol does to a man who can't control his intake and I, for one, don't think that's attractive in the least bit." I met Dave's gaze and held it before he dropped it with a short laugh, "Don't worry darlin'," I mentally flinched when he used the word that I had so often heard come out of Daryl's mouth, "I know for a fact that I can hold my liquor." Rick cleared his throat, "His name's Hershel and that's his daughter, Ava. They lost people today, a lot of them." Dave's face fell as he heard this news, "I'm truly sorry to hear that." He raised his glass, indicating that he was about to toast, "To better days and new friends. And to our dead, may they be in a better place." Rick, Glenn, Tony, and Dave all threw back their shots after the toast was given.

Dave leaned forward, reaching for the bottle before the shine of metal caught my eyes. I looked towards the source of the light and saw a gun sticking out of the back of his jeans. A smile spread across his face as he saw my gaze, "Like what'cha see, sweetheart? I got it off a cop." I shrugged my shoulders, "Seen better," Nodding towards Rick, I said, "He's a cop. He's got a better one." Dave's eyes trailed over to Rick then back at me, "This one was already dead when I got it." Dave leaned back in his seat and there was silence for a minute. I looked over at Tony to see him eyeing me with his beady little eyes. I scoffed and asked, "Y'all are a long way from Philly." Dave answered, "Feels like we're a long way from anywhere."

Hershel shifted in his seat, "Well, what drove you two south?" Dave raised a hand to his forehead, wiping away some sweat, "Well, it wasn't the weather obviously. Nah, first it was D.C. Heard there was some sort of refugee camp there, but that fell through." He shook his head and continued, "Thought it best to head to the sticks, keep hauling ass. Every group we came across, there was always some sort of rumor about a way out of this hellhole." Tony spoke up in his Jersey accent, "One guy said that there was a coast guard on the shore sending ferries to the islands." His gaze never dropped off me as he smiled and asked, "Wanna go to the beach, babe?" I snickered, "Sorry, _babe_, but not even if you were the last guy on earth." Dave laughed, before continuing, "The latest story was a train yard in Montgomery runnin' trains through the middle of the country; Kansas, Nebraska." Glenn interrupted, "Nebraska?" Tony nodded, "Low population but loads of guns. 'Ya ever been to Nebraska, kid? There's a reason they call 'em flyover states." Glenn and I looked at each other, "Makes sense." Tony and Dave shared a look before Dave asked, "How about you guys? Where you headed?" I could see Rick's 'adam's apple' bob as he swallowed before answering, "Fort Benning, eventually."

"Hate to shit on your cornflakes officer, but I ran across a guy who was from Benning. Said it was overrun with lamebrains." Glenn looked over at Rick and Hershel, "What? Are you for real?" Dave nodded, "Truth is, there's no way out of this mess. Keep goin' from one pipe dream to the next. Hopin' and prayin' one of these freaks don't grab 'ya in 'ya sleep." He looked around, "Uh, don't look like 'ya guys are hangin' your hats around here. You holed up somewhere else?" I shook my head, "Not really, just been travelin' around here with my family." I nodded to Hershel, Rick, and Glenn, "Father, husband, and brother, just passin' through." Rick turned to look at me with a questioning glance and I just shrugged at him. _If he's giving us titles that aren't really ours, might as well play along._

He turned back around, nodding as Dave asked, "Those your cars? Look kind of empty to be livin' in 'em. Clean even. Where's all your gear?" Hershel spoke up, "We're with a larger group. We were out scouting when we thought we could use a drink." Dave smiled, "Hershel, I thought you quit. Well, we're looking to set up around here. Is it safe?" Glenn hesitantly answered as Rick and I glanced at him, "Can be, though I've killed a couple of walkers around here." There was a silence, everyone looking at somebody else, though Mr. Tiny Tony over there can't seem to keep his nasty gaze to himself. I fingered the edge of my bow sitting behind the counter as I scooted a bit closer to Glenn. Dave broke the silence - of course, the weasel seems to want to know everything about us - by asking us if we were set up on the outskirts of town or something like that. Tony stood up from his seat, "Set up in a trailer park? A farm?" Walking over to the wall, I heard his pants unzip as he laughed at Dave singing 'Old MacDonald' as he pissed against the wall. I looked at Glenn and gave him a disgusted look.

"You live on a farm? Is it safe?" Dave asked. "It's gotta be" said Tony as he stood there, continuing to empty his bladder. He lifted his hand above his head as he looked over his shoulder at me, "'Ya got any cooze? Ain't had a piece of ass in weeks." I muttered under my breath so only Glenn could hear me as I tightened my hand around Daryl's knife, "I'll tell 'ya what's gonna go in your ass." Glenn gently nudged his hip against mine as if to remind me to stay calm. Dave groaned and rubbed his eye, "Listen, pardon my friend, he's got no tact." He pointed at Glenn, "So, Glenn-" Rick stopped him there, "We've said enough."

"Well, hang on. This farm sounds pretty sweet. Don't it sound sweet Tony?" Dave said, "How about a little southern hospitality here? We got some buddies back at camp, been havin' a real hard time. We can pool our resources and our manpower." Rick shook his head, "Look I'm sorry. But that's not an option." Hershel nodded, "I'm sorry, we can't take in any more." Dave chuckled, "You guys are somethin' else. You know, we got people we gotta look out for too." Rick shifted in his seat, "We don't know nothin' about you." Dave vigorously nodded, "No, that true. You don't know anything about us, what we've had to go through out there, the things we've had to do." He looked up at Rick, "I bet you've had to do some of that shit yourself, am I right? 'Cause ain't nobody's hands are clean in this world, we're all the same." His gaze shifted between Hershel and Rick, "So c'mon. Let's take a hayride up to this farm of yours and we'll get to know each other." Rick looked down at his hands and the glass between them. Holding his hand out to the side, he shook his head, "That's not going to happen."

"This is bullshit!" I turned to Tony as I stood up straight, "Dude, just calm down." He looked at me and pointed with that meaty finger of his, "Don't tell me to calm down. Don't you **_ever_** tell me to calm down, bitch!" Rick stood up suddenly as Glenn stood in front of me, his hand resting on my hip, holding me back as I threw back ,"Excuse me, dickhead!? What did you just say to me?!" Tony stepped forward as Rick stood between us ,"You heard what I said bitch! I'll shoot you four assholes in the head and take your fuckin' farm!" Dave stood up, "Whoa, whoa ,whoa, whoa! Relax, take it easy. Nobody's killin' anybody." He jumped over the counter and landed on the other side, "Nobody's shooting anybody. Right, Rick?" Rick's hand slowly went to the gun resting on his hip. Dave held his hands up and put his own gun on the counter, "We're just friends havin' a drink is all." He took a step back and looked behind the bar, clapping his hands together, "Now, where's the good stuff?" He bent down a bit and grabbed at something. My hand tightened around the knife as Rick's hand stayed on his gun. The motion did not go unnoticed by Dave because as soon as he saw Rick's stiffen, he stood back up with a bottle in his hand, "Hey, look at that. That'll work."

There was silence in the bar as we all watched Dave uncork the bottle and pour the liquid into a glass. I angled myself a bit towards Tony and readied the knife in my hand in case I needed to throw it. Dave sighed and set the bottle down, "You see, we can't stay out there. You know what it's like." Rick nodded, "Yeah, I do. But the farm is too crowded as it is. I'm sorry but you'll both have to keep looking." Dave looked down at his glass, "Keep looking. And where should we do that?" Rick shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I hear Nebraska's nice." Dave laughed and looked at Tony, "This guy." Then, time seemed to stand still as I saw both Rick and Dave reach for their guns, Rick getting to his first and shooting Dave clean through the head, his blood splattering against the mirror behind him. As fast as that happened, Rick turned around and shot Tony before he could even get his gun out. Two bullets to the chest, then one to the head.

Glenn, Hershel, and I looked at each other as Rick stood in front of Tony's body and holstered his gun. Glenn broke the silence, whispering, "Holy shit! What do we do now?" Rick knelt down and took Tony's gun, along with the bullets in his pocket. Stepping back from the bodies, Hershel made the decision to head back. I nodded and shouldered my bow as we made our way to the front door. Rick looked over his shoulder and asked, "What was all that with the husband and brother thing? I shrugged my shoulders, "I dunno. I figured since you had already said that I was Hershel's daughter, I might as well put in a whole family unit together." He let a soft laugh loose before lights lit up the front window and were gone as soon as they appeared. "Car, car," Rick whispered, "Get down."

**OMGkat22: Awesome! I'm so glad that you're enjoying this. I've never watched Breaking Bad but I'll keep this going so you won't have any heartache. :)**

**daryl3oc123: Thanks! My plan is to keep this story going as long as the show goes. Whenever I'm watching the new episodes for season 5, my brain is mapping out all different kinds of possibilities that could happen. :)**


	21. Suicide Mission (pt 1)

**Suicide Mission pt. 1**

Shouldering my bow, I rushed to crouch below the window next to Hershel. I put my hand over my mouth to try to quiet my ragged breathing. We listened as a car pulled up and stopped in front of the bar. My head jerked to the side as I heard car doors open then slam close. "Dave? Tony?" My eyes grew wide as I looked over at Rick as someone called out the names of the men that were just in our company. The voices continued, one telling the other to keep a watch out because 'roamers' were seen and there might be more than expected. I shifted a bit where I was crouched and saw shadows through the curtains of the window. _Oh God, please don't let them come in here. Make them turn around and go somewhere else._ This obviously didn't help because the men came closer to the bar, so close that if I looked close enough I could see their features through the curtain.

I saw one shadow in particular come up to the door but turned away as another man told him to stay close. Keeping my eyes on Rick, I watched him for signs as what to do next. Standing up, Rick peered from behind the curtain before be crouched back down and came over to where we were. I decided to break the silence by asking why they wouldn't leave. Rick shook his head, "We can't sit here any longer. Let's head out back and make a run to the car." We nodded and we were about to stand up, we heard gunshots, causing us to get back into our crouches once more. I covered my mouth in a silent gasp as I heard, "We're lookin' for Dave and Tony and no one thinks to check the damn bar?" I shoot a look over at Rick and see him raising his gun.

Then Glenn surprised us all by jumping in front of the door as it's about to open. Rick shook his head and then we hear a voice call out, "Yo, is someone in there? We don't want no trouble. We're just lookin' for our friends. If something happened, just tell us. This place is crawling with corpses as it is. If you can help us not get killed, we'd appreciate it." I looked between Rick and Hershel. As I saw that no one was going to speak up, I swallowed and announced, "They drew on us." Rick shot me a look and I chose to ignore it. I heard the man call back, "What do you mean they drew on you? They alive?" Then Rick decided to take charge, "No. Your men drew on my people! I had no choice! Listen, we've all done things we wish we didn't have to. So let's just call it what it was. Wrong place, wrong-"

Rick was interrupted by the sound of a shotgun firing and glass breaking and raining down on top of Glenn. Standing up, Rick aimed his gun out of the broken window and started firing, yelling at us to get out of here. Glenn grabbed my arm and pulled my up from my position, pulling me behind him as we ran to the back of the bar. Sliding on the floor, we ducked behind a piano as more gunfire flew into the building. Hershel took his shotgun and slid it across to Glenn. As Glenn picked it up, we looked at each other, a worried look in his eyes as the gunfire stopped. I nodded and slid my bow off my shoulder. Pulling an arrow from my quiver, I winked as I pressed my back against the wall and stood up, keeping myself hidden behind the piano. Knocking an arrow to my bow, I readied myself in case I needed to fire it fast. Hearing the clatter of bullets against the floor, I turned towards Rick as he shouted, "We all know this isn't going to end well!" I rolled my eyes as I thought, _Way to keep it positive, Rick._ "There's nothing in it for any of us! Just back off and no one else has to get hurt!"

There was silence until we heard bottles clinking from the back room. Looking at the door then looking back at Rick, I waited until he nodded before shuffling over to the closed door, hearing Glenn hiss my name to keep me from going. Taking the tip of my bow, I placed it into the small opening between the door and the doorjamb. Gently pushing the door open, I slowly moved into the room, keeping to the shadows like Daryl had taught me. Loosely drawing my bow back, I did a quick sweep around the room from the top of the staircase. Deciding that it was okay, I slowly went down the stairs only to have them creak under me no matter how soft I stepped. I scanned around the room, looking into places where someone could hide.

"Shit!"

My ears perked up as I heard bottles clink and someone swear. Looking towards the back door, I saw a shadow and then the doorknob turn. Pulling back, I aimed for the shadow's head and let my arrow fly. The shadow dropped from my view as the arrow crashed through the glass. "Ava! Ava!" I heard Rick yell from the front. Lowering my bow and moving back into the shadows against the wall, I called back, "I'm okay! I just lost an arrow!" Pulling another arrow from my quiver, I knocked it and stepped out in front of the door. Hearing a creaked behind me, I quickly drew back on the string and turned around, only to be met with Glenn and Hershel. Letting go of the breath that I was holding, I muttered a 'sorry' and lowered my bow once more. "Rick wants you and Glenn," Hershel explained, "to try for the car." Glenn broke through the instructions with a wide-eyed look, "Try?!" Hershel nodded, "You'll try and you'll succeed. I'll be here to cover you." I sighed and nodded, "Alright, c'mon Short Round. Let's get the car." Glenn let out a puff of air and led the way.

Opening the door, he checked both ways before walking down the steps with me right behind him. Heading down the alley, I kept my eyes peeled for anything unfriendly. A shot rang out behind me before I was pulled to the ground, Glenn lying beside me. Turning over on my back, I saw Hershel aiming at a guy behind us. With one shot, he brought the man down to the ground only stunning him. Groaning, the man rolled around in the grass. I lay back, catching my breath as I heard Rick come running from inside the store asking what happened. "He fired." Hershel answered, "I think he hit Glenn. He's behind the dumpster." Looking over my shoulder, I saw Glenn's legs peering out from behind the dumpster. Sitting up, I took Rick's offered hand and stood up. Picking up my bow from where I had dropped it when Glenn pushed me down, I made my way over to the dumpster. Peeking around the corner, I saw Glenn sitting against the metal as he clutched his shotgun.

Kneeling down in front of him, I placed a hand on his cheek, "It's gonna be okay. The car is right there and we're almost home. You gonna be okay?" He nodded and moved to get up only to be sent back to the hiding place by someone shooting at him. I looked behind me and saw a guy standing on the roof. I smirked as I whispered, "I could take him from here." I felt a hand on my arm and turned back to see Rick shaking his head, "Wait." My eyebrows knit together out of confusion before turning back around at the sound of tires squealing. Hearing the group talk to each other, I smiled as I heard that they were leaving because roamers were everywhere. They yelled at the kid on the roof to jump so that they could go. Shaking my head, I already predicted what would happen, whispering to Rick and Glenn that he wasn't going to make it.

Sure enough, as soon as the kid jumped, he landed on the other roof but didn't catch himself before he fell off the side and landed on something. It must've been something sharp because the minute he landed, we heard him screaming. His group didn't even stay to help him as they just drove off without a second thought. All I could hear was his screaming as I took off in a run to where he was. Once more, I heard my name being called and once again I ignored it. I ran over to the alley where the boy had fallen and was greeted by a fence with his leg impaled on it. Lifting his head, he saw me and kept yelling for me to help him. Hearing gravel crunch behind me, I head Rick's voice harshly telling the kid to shut up. I put my hand on his ankle and looked at where the fence was coming through below his knee, "Rick, I don't know if we can save him but we need to try." Hershel and Glenn came up behind us, telling us that we needed to go before the walkers got to us. This only made the guy whimper and yell more. Hershel put his hand on the kid's knee, apologizing that we had to leave. I turned to Hershel, "We can't just leave him. There's got to be some way to help him." Glenn shuffled around where we were standing, "Ava! He was just shooting at us. I think we could leave him." Growling, Rick asked, "Is there any way to get his leg off the fence?"

Hershel looked at his leg and telling us that there was no way that the leg would come off in one piece. I thought for a second before taking Daryl's knife out of my boot, "Cut it off." When I said this, the kid only screamed louder causing Rick to point his gun and tell him to shut up or else he would get a bullet through his head. I called Hershel's name to get his attention, "This will cut through bone. Daryl uses it all the time when he hunts. It'll work. I know it will." Hershel unbuttoned his shirt and started giving directions on what will have to be done after he does it. As Hershel took the knife, I glanced behind him and saw a group of walkers coming our way. Readying my bow, I announced, "Gonna have to work fast if we wanna get away. Glenn, little help here?" Glenn and I stood side-by-side as we started to pick off Walkers. One by one, we shot them down, but they just kept coming. It wasn't long until I was out of arrows, letting out a "Shit!" I shouldered my bow and turned towards Rick and Hershel. Looking back at the herd of walkers, I gauged the distance between us. Groaning, I ran over to the kid and gripped his ankle. I shook my head and mumbled, "Sorry kid, but we don't have any more time."

Taking a deep breath, I yanked up on his leg with enough force that I pulled his leg clean off the fence. Rick holstered his gun he was using and pulled the kid off the dumpster. Hershel handed me back the knife as he lifted the kid's legs and made their way to the car. The kid wasn't screaming any more, the shock must've knocked him out. Hershel and Rick loaded him into the back of the car as Glenn and I got into the back seat while Hershel and Rick got into the front.  
>Slamming the doors, Rick started the car and pulled away, leaving the group of walkers behind us in the dust.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ava, wake up." I heard Glenn call my name as he lifted his shoulder to nudge me awake. Lifting my head, I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and looked out the window to see that we're driving onto the farm. Turning around, I saw the kid lying in the back. I sighed, "What are we going to do about him?" Rick shrugged and glanced at Hershel before returning his gaze to the road, "What do you think we should do?" Hershel leaned forward and looked out the windshield, "I gave you my opinion back at town." Glenn spoke up, "What do we tell everyone?" Leaning forward, I let out another sigh as we pulled up to the house to see everyone gathered in front, "Well, looks like we're about to find out."<p>

**TWDgirl123: Lol thanks for that! I ship them too ;)**

**gfulloa: Wow! 50 times?! That's a lot. I'm going to try to not stop writing. I have up to chapter 30-something written. It's taken me a while to write the last few chapters because of school and work. But I plan on keeping this story going for a while. :)**


	22. Suicide Mission (pt 2)

**Suicide Mission pt. 2**

As we all got out of the car, Hershel made his way up the porch telling Patricia to prep the barn for surgery. I sighed and looked over to the side to see Daryl standing off to the side between Shane and Carol with his crossbow resting on his shoulder. Catching his eye, I crossed my arms as butterflies decided to invade my stomach. Last time I saw him he gave me his knife and told me to come back. Then, before he walked away from the car, he kissed me. It wasn't one of those romantic kisses like you would see in movies. It was more of a peck, but either way, it still took me by surprise. To be honest, I've never really kissed or have been kissed by anybody, not counting the time I shot my first buck and kissed him but I don't even know what that counted as. "Who the hell is that?!" I was brought out of my thoughts by T-Dog noticing our new visitor in the back. Glenn shrugged and said, "Oh, that's Randall." I stepped back as everyone stepped forward to look at the blinded boy sitting unconscious on the back seat. When everyone stepped forward, I felt a hand gently brush my elbow before it was gone. Looking over, I saw Daryl standing at my side staring straight ahead at the car, "You okay?" Nodding, I turned my gaze towards the group to see Rick and Glenn take Randall out of the car and get him situated so that they could take him to the barn.

Hearing Daryl clear his throat beside me, I turned to see him looking down at the ground, the toe of his boot scuffing in the dirt, "Listen, I need to talk to you about earlier..." I held my hand out, stopping his speech, "Daryl, we'll talk later. I have to go help Hershel with Randall." Reaching down, I slipped his knife from my boot and handed it to him, hilt first, "Thanks. It came in handy." He lifted his hand and wrapped it around the hilt, his thumb gently rubbing the side of my wrist, a questioning look in his eyes. I held his gaze before dropping it and letting my hand slip out of his. He nodded, "We'll talk later."

* * *

><p>A little while later, I was standing next to Maggie as everyone was gathered in the dining room talking about what to do with Randall. Hershel walked in and announced that Randall wouldn't be back on his feet for at least a week. Rick straightened up from where he was leaning over the table, "When he's able, we'll give him a canteen, take him out to the main road and send him on his way." Andrea spoke up but I didn't hear what she was saying because Daryl decided to pick that time to slip into the meeting. <em>Damn butterflies! Why won't you fuckin' stay still? You've known him most of your life, why act up now?<em> I shook my head and tuned back into the conversation to hear Shane say, "Not a threat? You killed three of their men, took one of 'em hostage. Now what makes you think they ain't gonna come lookin' for him?" Stepping forward, I spoke up, "They left him for dead, Shane! Bleeding out on top of a dumpster, his leg impaled on a spike. We were the ones who helped him, not his group. Now I'm pretty sure that his group has fu-" I stopped looking down to see Carl sitting at the table, "freakin' left him for dead and isn't gonna come lookin' for him."

For the first time, I heard T-Dog speak up, "We should still post a guard, just to be safe." Hershel nodded, "He's out cold right now, will be for hours." Shane stepped away from his place at the window and made his way to the front door, "Well, I don't know about y'all but I'm gonna go get our patient some flowers and candy, make him feel at home in our fantasy land." Hershel interrupted Shane's rant, "You know, we still haven't dealt with what you did to my barn. Let me make this perfectly clear for you," Shane turned around to face Hershel as he stepped closer to Shane, "This is _my_ farm. I wanted you gone the minute you opened and cleared the barn. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor, keep your mouth shut!" I smiled to myself as Hershel told Shane what I've want to tell him for a while. Shane glanced over at me, his gaze hardening as he saw my smile. Sighing, he ran his hands over his head and walked out, letting the screen door slamming behind him.

Rick stepped forward and placed a hand on Hershel's shoulder, "We're not going to do anything about it today. Let's just cool off and get some rest." I sighed _Good, I need some rest._ We all separated and I waited for everyone to pass me before I left. Keeping my eyes on Daryl, I saw Carol walk up to him. Cocking my head to the side, I watched as he huffed and stomped through the door, letting it slam in Carol's face. _Hmm, I wonder what happened last night while I was gone._ Walking out of the house, I went to the car and grabbed my bow and quiver from the back seat. I made my way to camp, only to find that Daryl's tent wasn't where I last saw it. Looking around, I spotted Carol and called out to her. She turned around and started walking towards me. Meeting her halfway, I asked her where Daryl's tent was. She sighed, "He's moved it up the hill and away from the group." I scoffed, "Why'd he do that?" Carol shrugged and crossed her arms, "I don't know. He's pulling himself away from the group. Just as he was starting to make a place for himself." Sighing, she dropped her hands, "Last night, I went to talk to him and he lashed out at me." I gasped and stepped forward, placing a hand on her elbow, "He didn't hit you, did he? 'Cause if he did, he's gonna be tastin' his own piss every time he opens his mouth." She smiled and shook her head, "No, he didn't lay a hand on me. He just yelled and vented. I think he was upset that he couldn't find Sophia in time and he just let it out on me."

Hearing what sounded like the beginning of a sob catch in her throat, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Whispering, I said, "I'm sorry that he yelled at you and I'm sorry that you lost Sophia. I'm sorry that we had to see her like that and I'm sorry that it was my arrow. I didn't want to do it and I hoped that we would find her. This whole world is fucked up right now and kids shouldn't have to be involved in this." I pulled back and wiped at my eyes as I smiled, "If you need someone to talk to about anything, I'm here Carol. Just call me and I'll come runnin'." She nodded and smiled. Thanking her for pointing me in the right direction, I turned and headed up the hill. As I reached the top of the hill, I saw Daryl sitting on what looked the rubble of a fallen chimney. Smirking, I spread my arms, "C'mon, Dixon! What gives?" He looked up from his arrow and shrugged, "Whadd'ya mean?" Dropping my quiver and leaning my bow against a tree, I gestured towards the tent, "I mean, why'd 'ya pack up and move all the way over here? What's so great 'bout bein' a loner and distancing yourself from the group?" His head shot up as his eyebrows rose, "Distancin' myself? You been talkin' to Carol?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, she told me how you blew up at her last night about Sophia." He looked back down at his arrow he was sharpening ,"Yeah, well I'ma tell you like I told her. If she had kept an eye on Sophia, none of this would've happened. I ain't everybody's tracker. Sophia wasn't my problem. All Carol had t'a do was keep an eye on her." I scoffed, "Like you keep an eye on everyone else, or do you just keep your eyes to yourself, make sure everything is peachy keen with Daryl Dixon?" Standing up, he pointed his arrow at me, his voice rising with every word he said, "Don't you start too. I've had enough with you women trying to pull some psychological shit with me. And for 'ya information, I don't just keep an eye out for myself. I've got both eyes on you, trying to keep 'ya from goin' on suicide missions." I let out a short laugh, "Suicide mission? You call me goin' to town with Rick and Glenn to get Hershel back a suicide mission?"

He nodded, "Yep. Hershel probably couldn't even take down a walker on account of him thinkin' that they're still people. Rick can't seem to make up his mind on who to kill and who not to kill. And Glenn, don't even get me started on Chinaman. Hell, they probably couldn't even protect 'ya if their heads were screwed on." I let out a short laugh, "Protect me? Dammit Dixon! You're the one who taught me everythin' I know. I don't need no protectin'." He let out a short laugh as he started to pace, "Yeah, 'ya do princess. Goin' out huntin' by yourself, puttin' yourself in harm's way. 'Ya need protectin'." I threw my hands up in the air, "What the hell are you talkin' about Daryl?" He stopped pacing for a minute to throw his arrow at a tree before he turned around to face me. Pointing a finger at me, he scowled, "I'm talkin' about you. I can't lose anyone else. I told myself down at the CDC that I wouldn't lose anybody every again. I've already lost Merle, was close to losing 'ya when 'ya got kidnapped. Fuck, we lost Sophia just yesterday 'cause of some fuckin' virus that's makin' people straight up start walkin' once they're dead."

He stepped closer to me until he was right in front of me. I looked up from where I was standing to meet his baby blues with mine. We were quiet for a minute before he spoke softly, his hand lifting to rest on my cheek, "I just got 'ya back. I can't lose 'ya again, Ava. I don't know what I would do if something happened and I wasn't there to protect 'ya." I swallowed, taking a breath before I whispered, "You'd keep livin' 'cause other people need your protection more than I do." He let out a soft laugh as he leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against mine, my eyes closing as I felt his breath ghost over me, "I wouldn't be able to keep livin' 'cause I need you more than they need me." I opened my eyes and met his gaze again "No. You'd have to keep livin', Daryl. Everyo-"

I was cut off by Daryl gently pressing his lips against mine, his fingers gently pressing into the base of my neck. I lifted myself on tiptoe to match his height, my hands moving to rest on his chest. He took his free hand and moved it to settle on my waist as he started to walk me backwards. As my back hit a tree, he broke the kiss with a smile, his lips barely touching mine as he muttered, "Shut up woman and just accept the fact that I'm gonna be protecting you from here on out." I bite my bottom lip and let it slide from between my teeth, nodding in acceptance. He sighed and murmured, "Good", before molding his lips with mine once more.

**boondockgirl543: Aww thank you so much for that review! That was so sweet! :)**


	23. You're Not Alone

**TWDgirl123, DeadlyKitten7, Boondockgirl543, and Dixonluvrgirl... This is for all of y'all! Enjoy :)**

****WARNING** This chapter correlates with TWD's season 2 episode "18 Miles Out", so there is talk of cutting and suicide.**

**You're Not Alone**

I saw very little of Daryl the next couple of days. During the morning, he would be hunting, trying to find meat for the winter months ahead. Then, in the afternoon and at nights, he would be keeping guard over Randall, switching out shifts with T-Dog or Shane. Sometimes, it even seems like he was keeping his distance on purpose. Now, I know it's only been two days since he kissed me, but come on! You can't just expect a girl, who's never been kissed in her whole life, to forget about the guy - who she's known for what seems like forever - who basically pushed her against a tree and took her kissing virginity. But I mean, that's all I can think about. His lips on mine, how his hands felt holding me up because I thought my legs would give out. Even know I can still feel the pressure of his kiss lingering ever so slightly.

And you ask what I have been doing those past few days? Doing what every good nurse should do. I spent my time checking up on Randall and making sure he was okay before Shane and Rick sent him on his way. I've also been helping Hershel with Beth, making sure she gets through her ordeal safe and sound, which is why I'm in the kitchen right now with Maggie and Lori, "Blames me. Says that I'm the reason he froze, that I got inside his head." I look up from the cooked chicken that I'm chopping to see Maggie looking at Lori. Lori wiped her hands and grabbed a plate, "He came back, Maggie. That's what matters." She started putting food on a plate as she continued, "Men do certain things. They're either going to blame the little woman as the reason they do it or the reason they don't. But let me tell you, we," Lori motioned to the three of us, "are going to hold things together until they get back." Maggie sighed, "Things were good between us. Maybe I-"

Putting the knife down, I stepped in, "Glenn's a big boy, Maggie. He makes his own choices." Lori took a bite out of a slice of cucumber as she nodded, "Ava's right. I mean, do you have anything to apologize for?" Maggie shook her head. Lori shrugged as she took another bite, "Then tell him to man up and pull himself together. Just don't say man up. It never works out well." We chuckled as I said, "You could always tell Glenn what I have told Daryl a few times. Tell him to grow a pair, though I don't know if that'll work as well with Shortround than it did with the rough redneck." Maggie smiled and put her hand on her hip, "Speaking of the rough redneck, you've been disappearing after dinner since the night y'all came back with Randall and Daryl's been on guard. You never sneak out. Anything I should know about?"

I felt the heat rise up to my cheeks as I thought back to that night. Reaching over, I grabbed the tray that Lori had placed Beth's plate on "Um, Beth needs her lunch. I'm going to go give it to her." Laughing, Maggie took the tray from me and handed it to Lori, "Nuh-uh. Lori can take Beth her lunch." Lori laughed as she made her way out of the kitchen, "I take that as my cue to go." Maggie stepped a little closer to me, "So… tell me!" I wiped my hands on a towel, "Tell you what?" She crossed her arms, "You know what." Leaning forward and raising her eyebrows, she asked in a low voice, "Do you need to borrow some condoms?" My eyes widened as she said that. Hitting her with my towel, I shout her name, "Margaret Greene! It's not like that!" She stood back, laughing, "Then tell me Ava, just what is it like? His body pressed against yours, his hands running all over your body?" Stepping forward, I put my hand over her mouth as I hissed, "We're not having sex, Maggie!" She put her hand on my wrist and pulled her head back, "Then what's happened, Ava? I thought we were best friends. Now tell me, what's happened between you and Daryl?" Sighing, I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. Looking down at the floor, I bit my bottom lip and let it slide between my teeth with a small smile, "He kissed me. My first kiss and it was Daryl, Maggie."

* * *

><p>A little bit later, after I had told Maggie everything that happened the night Daryl kissed me, I was in the living room listening not only to Maggie and Beth arguing upstairs but also to Andrea and Lori being at each other's throats in the kitchen. It wasn't long before the yelling had died down in both areas of the house. Getting up from the couch, I walk into the kitchen to see Lori standing against the counter, looking off into space. Keeping my voice low, as not to startle her, I call her name, "Lori? You alright?" She looked at me and nodded, "Yeah, Ava. I'm okay." Sighing, she moved to stand in front of me. Placing her hand on my forearm, she gave a small smile, "Will you go check on Maggie and Beth for me?" I nodded and headed upstairs. Standing in front of Beth's door, I took a deep breath and twisted the knob, pushing the door open. As I walked in, the two sisters looked up at me before continuing their conversation. Sitting in a chair, I crossed my legs and turned my attention towards the pair in front of me. "Mom would be ashamed to learn that she had raised such a coward. What about dad?" Maggie asked. Beth shrugged her shoulders, "He's clueless. He had us all waiting on a cure." I spoke up, "What about Patricia, Jimmy and Maggie? Are you even thinking about those who love you?"<p>

Beth scoffed, "What, I dated Jimmy for three months and now suddenly I'm married to him? I don't want to be here when the farm gets overrun by those _things_. It's just me, Maggie and Patricia with Daddy and Jimmy to protect us. Rick will save his family and his group. Daryl 'ill save you. We've got no one. We're alone." Sighing, I shook my head. Taking a deep breath, I stood up, "Beth. I'm going to show you something that I've never shown or told anyone else." Maggie turned to look at me as well. Taking another breath, I started with my story, "There was a time when I thought like you do now. I always thought what's the point, why am I even here, I'm so alone. I had no reason to think like this. I mean, I had a good life, a good family, friends. But something just didn't feel right for some reason." Unbuttoning my shirt, I shrugged it off so I was just standing in my tank top and jeans. Spreading my left arm out, I pointed to a patch of white scars on my underarm, "So, I did what I felt like I should do. I took a knife to myself. First, it started with little ones like the ones here."

Lifting up my shirt, I pointed to another set of white scared letters peppering my lower stomach, "Then it started to become words like alone, unloved. Like I said before, I had no reason to think like this. I can tell you, they didn't hurt when I cut them. I just didn't feel any pain. I don't why, but I didn't. Then one day, I was going to end it. Just like that, not a care in the world. But something must've clicked in my subconscious because I had written a letter and left it on the counter, fully planning to be gone by the time my parents would come home from work and when my sister came home from school." I moved to stand in front of the two girls sitting on the bed, holding my wrist out to show one lone scar standing out, "What I didn't plan on was Daryl coming over to see if I wanted to go squirrel hunting. He found me, cowering in the bathtub, the knife still in my hand and blood trickling down my arm. I remember crying to him because I couldn't do it. It hurt. **_That's _**what woke me up. The fact that it **_hurt_**."

Reaching forward, I tucked a strand of hair behind Beth's ear, "You're not alone Bethie. Don't _ever_ think you're alone. You have people that love you, that will be devastated if you take your life. They can't take another funeral." Bending down, I pressed my lips to her forehead, "Think about that next time you take a knife from your lunch tray." Grabbing my shirt from the chair, I shrugged it back on as I walked out of the room. Walking down the stairs, I made my way outside and sat on the top step of the porch, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my chin on top of my knees. Reaching my hand up, I took my necklace and absentmindedly rubbed the small, silver clover between my fingers.

"Hey, what's the look for, darlin'?" Looking up, I saw Daryl standing in front of me, a small glint of worry in his eyes. I shrugged my shoulders and looked back down at the ground, closing my eyes. Hearing Daryl shuffle his feet, I felt him sit beside me on the porch. He cleared his throat before speaking up, "Now, A, I've known you far too long to know when somethin's botherin' 'ya. So tell me, what's got that pretty little forehead all scrunched up?" Opening my eyes, I turned my head and looked at him. Letting out a soft exhale, I said, "Beth wants to kill herself." He was quiet for a minute before reaching out and gently wrapping his hand around my wrist, pulling my hand away from my necklace. He softly traced his thumb over my scar, "I'm guessing you told her how you got this?" I nodded "Mhm, and more." Seeing his forehead scrunch up, I gave him a small smile as I reached up and brushed away some of the hair that was falling into his eyes.

Feeling him slightly stiffen, I dropped my hand into my lap. Looking forward, I broke the silence, "When she makes it through this, I'm going to give her my necklace. She needs a good luck/comfort charm more than I do." I saw him slightly nod his head out of the corner of my eye. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before Lori came bursting out of the front and marched across the yard. Standing up, I left Daryl sitting on the front porch as I went inside. Hearing soft cries come from the kitchen, I walked in to find Maggie and Beth standing over the sink, with Maggie whispering, "I'm not mad Bethie, I'm not mad." Grabbing the first aid kit off the table, I opened it and grabbed some bandages and gauze. Walking over to the pair, I removed Maggie's hands and we both cleaned, stitched, and bandaged Beth up as much as we could. When we were finished, I put my hands on Beth's cheeks, my thumbs wiping away tears. Giving her a small smile, I whispered, "I told you, Beth. You are never alone. You want to live."

As I was cleaning up while Maggie took Beth back upstairs, Daryl burst through the front door, "Rick and Shane are back." Turning around, I dried my hands, "And?" He stood there, catching his breath, "And Randall's still with 'em. He knows the Greene family. He knows about their farm and where it's located." Crossing my arms, I watched as he brought his thumb up to his mouth, nervously biting the side. Sighing, I asked, "We still aren't safe, are we?" Looking up and meeting my gaze, he shook his head.

**Dixonluvrgirl: lol don't be ****embarrassed! i do that with other fics as well ;)**

**Boondockgirl543: Wow! I'm glad that I'm one of those people! :)**


	24. A Broken Group

**Alright, so I'm going to start putting notes up here from now on!**

**Boondockgirl543: You're welcome hon! And don't worry, I'll probably be posting a few more chapters before Christmas, like this one for example. ;)**

**Dixonluvrgirl: Condoms? Did I write something about Ava picking up condoms? I don't remember that... But just you wait. It might take some time but something might happen ;)**

**TWDgirl123: 15minutes?! they read all 22 chapters in 15 minutes?! WOW! I feel like this is probably getting more popular than it is on Wattpad. Do you hear me complaining though? Nope! I love getting reviews on my work! It makes me so happy!**

**Vampiregirl13: HI! I've been reading a lot of Buffy fics as well because my best friend got me hooked on it this summer. I'm also glad that you're loving my TWD fic, even if you don't read a lot! I hope you enjoy the rest of my chapters and don't be afraid to message me or leave me reviews! 3 :)**

**And for all of my "guest reviewers", make an account so I can actually reply to you! :D And now back to Don't Let Me Go...**

**A Broken Group**

- Daryl's POV -  
>Swinging my arm forward, my fist makes contact with the kid's face again, this time knocking him and his chair down to the ground. I pause for a minute, only to hear him whimpering. I punch him in the jaw two more times before he spits a mixture of blood and saliva on the floor of the barn. Looking up at me, he pants, "I told you-" I cut him off by saying, "You ain't told me shit!" followed by me grabbing onto the front of his shirt and pulling him up into a sitting position. Leaning against the wall of the shed, he whines, "Look, I barely knew those guys. I just met 'em on the road." I took a step back, pacing in front of him, "How many's in yer group?"<p>

When he didn't answer, I slide my hunting knife out of its sheath on my hip. It must've shined in the sun because the kid found his voice again, "No, no, no, no, no. C'mon man!" I barely heard him as I stabbed the floor beside his knee, shouting, "How many?!" He stuttered his answer, "Uh, uh, 30. 30 guys." _Finally, I'm getting somewhere._ "Where?" I shouted at him again. And again, he didn't answer. _Alright then._ I reached down and tore the bandage from his thigh, "Ya ever pick off a scab?" As I touched the tip of my knife to his wound, he yelped and shouted, "I dunno. I swear. We never stayed anywhere more than a night!" Putting more pressure on the knife, I asked more questions, "Scoutin'? Plannin' on stayin' local?"

"They left me behind man! I dunno!" Looking down at his leg, I placed the tip of the knife under a scabbed piece of skin and held down his knee, "Ya start real slow at first. Then sooner or later, ya just gotta rip it off." He groaned and squirmed under the pressure of the knife, "Okay, okay. Th-they have weapons, tons of ammunition. But I didn't do anything!" Getting frustrated, I growled through clenched teeth, "Your boys shot at my guys **and** my girl. Tried to take this farm. You're tryin' to tell me you just went along for the ride, that you're innocent?"

"Yes!" he panted, "These guys, th-they took me in. Their group was like your group, men, women, and kids too. Thought I'd have a better chance with 'em." Taking my knife off his wound, I stood up and looked down at him as he explained. Sighing, he looked away, "Just the men go out and scavenge. One night, we came up on this little camp, just a dad and his two daughters. Teenagers, ya know? Real young, real cute." In my head, I mentally prepared myself for what he was going to say. Swallowing he continued, "The guys made their daddy watch while they- they didn't even kill 'em after. Just tied 'em to a chair while they had their fun." Quickly he looked up at me, "But I didn't touch them, I swear. I didn't touch those girls." I'd had enough. Bringing my leg back, I kicked him in the stomach - hard. I stood back as he lay there, begging for me to believe him that he wasn't like that.

- Ava's POV -  
>Standing next to Maggie, I crossed my arms as I heard Rick and Lori talking about what we were going to do. I heard Glenn ask, "We gonna keep him here?" The group was silent until Rick spoke up and nodded towards the shed, "We'll find out soon enough." Looking up, I saw Daryl come walking our way. He had one hand on the strap of his crossbow, holding it in place. My heart sank into my stomach as I saw blood on his knuckles. Looking down at his other fist, I saw that my thoughts were confirmed. He tortured the boy. As he approached, he cleared his throat and told us what he knew, "Boy there's got a gang, about thirty men. They got heavy guns and there ain't no way in hell they lookin' to make friends. Hell, they roll through here, we gon' be dead." He paused and looked over at Maggie and I. Catching my gaze, he held it as he continued, "And our women, they gon' wish they were."<p>

Carol stepped forward a bit, "What did you do?" Daryl broke my gaze and glanced at his hand before adjusting his hold on the crossbow strap, "Had a little chat." Carol shook her head slightly before walking away. As Daryl headed back, he passed by me, ever so softly brushing my hand with his. Looking up, I saw him head towards where his tent was. Turning around, I was about to follow him when I heard Dale raise his voice, "So, you're just going to kill him?" Stopping in my tracks, I watched as Rick avoided Dale's question by saying, "It's settled. I'll do it today." As Rick walked away, Dale turned to look at the rest of the group with a questioning look on his face. When no one spoke up, he followed after Rick. Shaking my head, I lifted my hand to finger my clover charm. When my fingers grasped at nothing, I sighed and decided to check on Daryl. It wasn't long before I made the long walk to where Daryl had made his camp. When I walked up, I saw him sitting on a log, furiously scrubbing at his bloody knuckles. Sighing, I threw my leg over the log and sat down facing him. Taking the damp rag from his hand, I dropped it into the bucket of water that was resting on the ground. Rinsing the rag out, I took the hand that he was scrubbing and placed it on my knee. Gently, I started to clean away the excess blood off his knuckles, making sure not to scrub too hard.

We sat in silence for a while as I tried my best to clean his hand, leaning down to rinse the rag every once in a while. As I finished with one, I motioned for his other hand. He sighed and moved on the log to mimic how I was sitting. Handing me his other hand, I began to work on that as well, "I don' want 'ya to go near 'im." I kept my head down and nodded as I stay concentrated on Daryl's hand. I finally looked up when I felt his hand on my chin, gently lifting my head so I can meet his gaze. He looked in my eyes for a few seconds before whispering, "I mean it, A." I swallowed and nodded, "I know." His thumb gently ran over my jaw before I slowly pulled away and looked back down at his hand.

Sighing, I balled the rag in my fist and ran my thumb over the backs of his fingers, "You know, Rick's plannin' on killin' the kid." Looking up, I saw him slowly nod as he brought his free hand up to his mouth to chew on his thumb. Reaching up, I wrapped my hand around his wrist and pulled it away from his mouth, "And you're okay with this?" Daryl shrugged his shoulders as he voiced his thoughts, "Rick's the leader. If he thinks it's the right thing to do, then it should be done." I let go of his hands and crossed my arms, "The right thing to do Daryl? What about the kid? Does he not get a say in this?" Daryl shook his head as he continued to look down at the log, "You don't understand. You don't know what they've done." I gave a short laugh as I leaned forward to try to catch his eye, "I don't understand? Then enlighten me Daryl!"

His head shot up as his eyes flashed with anger, "They raped girls, Ava!" My breath caught in my throat as I leaned back. Daryl swung his leg over the log and stood up before he started pacing in front of me, "They raped people, women and girls. Didn't even kill 'em after. Just had their family watch. If those bastards came through here, you'd be the first one they grab. You, Maggie, Beth. Then they'd make the men watch. It'd just be worse if they found out you're a virgin. I would die before I let them put their hands on 'ya. All I would see, is fuckin' red. I wouldn't even care." Daryl paused and knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his, he started back, his voice just a whisper, "And that's why, I think it's right that he be killed. Not cause Rick said so and not because he _might_ run off. It's because _when_ that weasel does run off, he's gon' bring back every single fuckin' person he knows to this farm. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I'd known there was a way to stop it. And this is the way to stop it."

I slipped my hand from between his and brought it up to rest on his jaw, my thumb sliding forward to run against the course hairs on his chin. Leaning forward, I rested my forehead against his and closed my eyes, "Fine. If you think it's right, then who am I to stop you." We sat like that for a minute before someone cleared their throat. My eyes flew open as I pulled back and looked to the left. I could feel the heat rise to the tips of my ears as I saw Dale standing there with his gun on his shoulder and a slight smile on his lips. Daryl let out a groan as he stood up, "I thought the whole point of me movin' up here was to get away from you people." Dale shrugged his shoulders, taking Daryl's action as his invitation to continue, "Well, it's gonna take a lot more than that." Clearing my throat, I wiped my hands on my thighs, "I think I'm uh, gonna find Carol and see if she needs me to help with anything." Standing up, I ducked my head as both of the men looked at me as I hurried away.

Throughout the day, I helped Carol with different chores to keep us occupied until the meeting at sundown. At one point, I was taking a basket of clean clothes up to Daryl's camp when I walked up on Carl snooping around Merle's bike. Coming up behind him, I cleared my throat causing him to turn around so fast he almost fell on the ground. Stifling a laugh, I asked, "Whatcha doin' bud? Come to find Daryl so you could ride the bike?" He shook his head, keeping his hands behind his back, "No. Just exploring." I nodded as I noticed how shifty he was becoming, "Well, whatever you're doin', don't let Daryl catch 'ya touchin' his bike." He nodded as he backed away before turning around and running towards the field. Soon, it was time for the meeting about Randall's life.

* * *

><p>"Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" Maggie asked. Daryl shifted in the spot he was standing in, "It'd just be another mouth to feed."<p>

"Or he could be an asset. Give him a chance to prove himself. Put him to work!" Dale suggested. Rick shook his head, "No. We're not letting him walk around." Maggie spoke up again, "We could always put an escort on him." Rick held his hand up, "I don't think anyone should be walking around with this guy." My gaze moved over to Shane as he shuffled at his spot against the mantle, "Let's say we let him join us. Maybe he's nice, maybe he gains our trust." Stepping forward, I spoke up, "What if we let our guard down and he decided to run off? You know he's gonna bring his group back. Then what's gonna happen to this farm, to us? We're gonna be on the run the minute he runs."

Dale clenched his hat in his hand, "So, you're saying that you know for sure that he's going to bring his group back and that we should just kill him based on a hunch?" Turning to Rick, Dale continued, "If we do this, you're basically saying that there's no hope. The rule of law is dead and we've lost our humanity." I looked over at Hershel sitting on the couch as he suggested if Rick could drive further out than what they did before. Lori decided to shoot that idea down immediately by saying that Rick and Shane barely came back yesterday. For the first time throughout this whole meeting, Patricia spoke up, "If you go through with this, how will you do it? Will he suffer?" Rick, Shane, and T-Dog talked amongst themselves before Dale interrupted, "You're talking about this like it's already decided!" Daryl stepped forward and moved his finger in a circle, "Been talkin' 'bout this all day, goin' 'round in circles. Just wanna keep runnin' those circles?" Everyone broke out into arguing until I had enough, "Stop it! Just stop with all this fighting. I'm tired of everyone goin' around in circles. We aren't getting anywhere and it doesn't seem like it's gonna be anytime soon if we do reach a decision."

"Ava's right." Carol said, "I didn't sign up for this. You can't ask us to decide what to do on something like this. Please decide, but leave me out."

"Enough!" Rick stepped forward and motioned towards the center of the room, "If anyone wants the floor, take it." We were all silent as those who had stood up, took their seats once more. I looked towards Daryl to see him looking out the window. Dale spoke up once more, "You once said that we don't kill the living." Rick turned towards Dale, "That was before the living tried to kill _us_." I shifted on my feet as Dale took the argument back up, "But you see, if we do this, the people that we were, the hope that we had, would be dead. This new world is ugly, it's harsh! It's become survival of the fittest. It's a world I don't want to live in and I'm sure that none of you want to either. I just can't believe it." He paused to take a breath, his voice shaking when he spoke back up, "Please. Let's just do what's right."

The room was silent before Andrea sighed, "He's right. We should try to find another way." Crossing my arms, I waited as Rick looked around, asking if there was anyone else who agreed. When no one spoke up, Dale gave a short laugh, "Are y'all going to watch too? Nah, you'll just go hide your heads in the sand and forget that we're killing a human being and not one of the Walkers we've come to fear." Shaking his head, he sighed, "I won't be a part of it." Wringing his hat, he moved to walk out of the room, stopping in front of Daryl and placing a hand on his elbow, "You were right. This group _is_ broken." With that said he walked out of the house.

* * *

><p>Later that night, I sat at the campfire with everyone else and waited as Daryl, Shane, and Rick took Randall to the barn to conclude their business. Hearing footsteps, I stood up as I watched Daryl, Rick, and Carl walk up. Looking over at Daryl, I cocked my head to the side, silently asking him what happened. Daryl looked up as Rick announced that he was keeping Randall in custody for a little bit. As everyone got up, Daryl walked over to me and nodded his head towards the field, "Walk with me?" I nodded and grabbed my jacket, slipping it on as I followed him. When we were far enough away from the camp, I put my hand on Daryl's shoulder stopping him in his steps, "What happened? Why didn't Rick kill him?" Daryl sighed and crossed his arms, "Carl showed up. That boy is never listenin'. He's gon' get hisself killed one of the days if he don't listen to his parents." I sighed, "True. But that means th-"<p>

"ARGHHHHH AHHHH!"

We both looked towards the field as a scream broke through the night's silence. Taking off at a run, I followed Daryl as he sprinted towards the scream. When we arrived, I didn't expect to see Dale lying on the ground with a walker on top of him, tearing at his stomach. Without a second thought, Daryl barreled towards the fallen pair and tackled the walker from on top of Dale. Rushing to his side, I grabbed Dale's hand as I saw the extent of the damage. _There's no way that this can be fixed_ I thought to myself. I stood up as everyone came running towards us. Stepping back, I let Rick take over. He started yelling for Hershel and told Glenn to go get him. Finding my voice, I told Rick that there's nothing we could do. He must not have heard me because he was trying to calm Dale down.

When Hershel made it over to us, he was the one that told Rick exactly what I said. This time it sunk in because Rick started yelling, "NO!" to the sky. Andrea shouted, "Do something. He's hurting!" Letting out a grunt, Rick took his gun from his holster and aimed it at Dale's head. Seeing the gun shaking in his hand, Daryl stepped forward before I could do anything. Taking the gun from Rick, he knelt in front of Dale and pointed it at his forehead. There was silence for minute before Daryl muttered, "Sorry brother." Turning around, I closed my eyes as I heard the familiar sound of the gun ring out.


End file.
